222 THE POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY. 



and from this idea false idea, I should say of the primary action of 

 alcohol, many erroneous conclusions have been drawn. We have now 

 learned that there exist many chemical bodies which act directly by 

 producing a paralysis of the organic nervous supply of the vessels 

 which constitute the ruinate vascular circuit. These minute vessels 

 when paralyzed offer inefficient i\ ; ^inceto the stroke of the heart, 

 and the heart thus liberated, like the mainspring of a clock from which 

 the resistance has been removed, quickens in action, dilating the mi- 

 nute and feebly-acting vessels, and giving evidence really not of in- 

 creased but of wasted power. 



The phenomena noticed above constitute the first stage of alcoholic 

 action on the body ; we may call it the stage of excitement ; it corre- 

 S])onds with a similar stage or degree caused by chloroform. 



If the action of alcohol be carried further, a new set of changes is 

 induced in another part of the nervous system the spinal system. 

 Whether this change be due simply to the modification of the circula- 

 lation in the spinal cord, or to the direct action of the alcohol upon the 

 nervous matter, is not yet known, but the fact of change of function is 

 well marked, and it consists of deficient power of coordination of mus- 

 cular movement. The nervous control of certain of the muscles is lost, 

 and the nervous stimulus is more or less enfeebled. The muscles of 

 the lower lip in the human subject usually fail first of all, then the 

 muscles of the lower limbs, and it is worthy of remark that the flexor 

 muscles give way earlier than the extensors. The muscles themselves 

 by this time are also failing in power ; they respond more feebly than 

 is natural to the galvanic stimulus ; they, too, are coming under the 

 depressing influence of the paralyzing agent, their structure tempora- 

 rily changed, and their contractile power everywhere reduced. This 

 modification of the animal functions under alcohol marks the second 

 degree of its action. In this degree, in young subjects, there is usually 

 vomiting, and in birds this symptom is invariable. Under chloroform 

 there is produced a degree or stage of action holding the same place in 

 the order of phenomena. 



The influence of the alcohol continued still longer, the upper por- 

 tions of the cerebral mass, or larger brain, become implicated. These 

 are the centres of thought and volition, and as they become unbalanced 

 and thrown into chaos, the mind loses equilibrium, and the rational 

 part of the nature of the man gives way before the emotional, pas- 

 sional, or mere organic part. The reason now is off duty, or is fooling 

 with duty, and all the mere animal instincts and sentiments are laid 

 atrociously bare. The coward shows up more craven, the braggart 

 more braggart, the bold more bold, the cruel more cruel, the ignorant 

 more ignorant, the untruthful more untruthful, the carnal more carnal. 

 " In vino Veritas " expresses faithfully, indeed even to physiological 

 accuracy, a true condition. The spirits of the emotions are all in 

 revel, and are prepared to rattle over each other in wild disorder; 



