PHYSIOLOGICAL POSITION OF ALCOHOL. 223 



foolish sentimentality, extending to tears, grotesque and meaningless 

 laughter absurd promises and asseverations, inane threats or childish 

 predictions impel the tongue, until at last there is failure of the senses, 

 distortion of the objective realities of life, obscurity, sleep, insensibility, 

 and utter muscular prostration. This constitutes the third stage of al- 

 coholic intoxication. It is the stage of insensibility under chloroform 

 when the surgeon performs his painless task. 



While these changes in the action of the nervous system are in 

 progress there is a peculiar modification proceeding in respect to the 

 temperature of the body. For a little time the external or surface 

 temperature is increased, especially in those parts that are unduly 

 charged and flushed with blood. But it is to be observed that in re- 

 spect to the mass of the body the tendency is to a fall of temperature. 

 In the progress toward complete intoxication under alcohol, however, 

 there are, as we have already seen, three degrees or stages. The first 

 is a stage of simple exhilaration, the second of excitement, the third 

 of rambling insensibility, and the fourth of entire unconsciousness, 

 with muscular prostration. The duration of these stages can be modi- 

 fied in the most remarkable manner by the mode of administration ; 

 but whether they are developed or recovered from in an hour or a day, 

 they are always present except in cases where the quantity of alcohol 

 administered is in such excess that life instantly is endangered or de- 

 stroyed. In the first or exhilarative stage the temperature undergoes 

 a slight increase ; in birds a degree Fahrenheit, in mammals half a de- 

 gree. In the second degree, during which there is vomiting in birds, 

 or attempts at vomiting, the temperature comes back to its natural 

 standard, but soon begins to fall ; and during the third degree the de- 

 cline continues. The third degree fully established, the temperature 

 falls to its first minimum, and in birds comes down from five and a 

 half to six degrees ; in rabbits from two and a half to three degrees. 

 In this condition the animal temperature often remains until there are 

 signs of recovery, viz., conscious or semi-conscious movements, upon 

 which there may be a second fall of temperature of two or even three 

 degrees in birds. In this course of recovery I have seen, for instance, 

 the temperature of a pigeon which had a natural standard of 110 

 Fahr. reduced to 102. Usually with this depression of force there is 

 a desire for sleep, and with perfect rest in a warm air there is a return 

 of animal heat ; but the return is very slow, the space of time required 

 to bring back the natural heat being from three to four times longer 

 than that which was required to reduce it to the minimum. 



In these fluctuations of temperature the ordinary influences of the 

 external air play an important part as regards duration of the fluctua- 

 tion, and to some extent as regards extremes of fluctuation. 



These facts respecting fall of temperature of the animal body under 

 alcohol were derived from observations originally taken from the in- 

 ferior animals ; they have been confirmed since by other observers, 



