ALCOHOL AND HAPPINESS. 29 



also in more delicate changes of tlie elements revealed by a micro- 

 scope, where the quantity taken has been even a small one. A 

 physiological examination proves always beyond doubt that, 

 where any appreciable quantity of alcohol has been taken, there 

 are changes in the body substance, not always indeed wholly pro- 

 portionate to the quantity taken, because the living elements have 

 always more or less power to resist and overcome. 



But I am not to deal with dangers and consequences from the 

 use of alcohol, but with the problem of possible pleasure in exist- 

 ence without it. Let us see what pleasure does come from its use. 

 While the influence of alcohol on the elements of the body is so 

 evident and important, it is yet only as that influence touches the 

 nerves that we are conscious of it. This becomes real to us in 

 two ways: first, through the senses of taste and smell, as it 

 touches the outward body ; and, secondly, when it has entered 

 into the blood and begins its chemical working in the nerve cen- 

 ters. How far shall we coimt these influences pleasurable ? We 

 are wont to count them one, but in a physiological sense they are 

 very different, resulting from the action of very different parts of 

 the drink taken. Wine, for instance, is made up of six elements, 

 five of which give the taste, the sixth the fragrance of the wine. 

 One of the five is alcohol, the only one which can not be enjoyed 

 alone, and is never taken alone except by the man whose sense of 

 taste has been utterly destroyed. We are not now situated as 

 were the ancients " der gute Noah," for instance nor even as the 

 men of the last generation, who had discovered so little of the 

 earth's power to produce pleasure-giving substances that they 

 were naturally delighted with and disposed to make the most of 

 the new discovery of wine. We can take the elements of wine 

 which do please our taste and make a better drink without alco- 

 hol. It needs only that a sufficient number of men resolve upon 

 such a course. 



But the effect of wine upon the brain and other nerve centers 

 is that of the alcohol alone. To understand it physiologically one 

 must remember the ordinary action of the nerves. An impression 

 from without meets us, the nerves carry it to the nerve center, 

 and a movement or other expression results. The movement does 

 not, however, alyrays accompany the sensation directly. In read- 

 ing, for instance^ one may indefinitely postpone any expression of 

 received impressions; and then a single action may express a 

 number of stored-up impressions, or again one impression may 

 call forth a number of movements. Man has learned to in some 

 sense measure the relation of movement to sensation as to rapid- 

 ity of movement, and as to the relative strength of the two. It 

 is found, first, that the sharpness and certainty of sensations are 

 modified by even small doses of alcohol, completely deadened or 



