CHAPTER L 



CHEMICAL INJURY TO THE NERVOUS SYSTEM 



306. Alcohol and the senses. The most important effects 

 of alcohol are upon the nervous system, as indeed is the case 

 with all drugs, stimulants, and narcotics. In small quantities, 

 alcohol dulls the sensitiveness of touch and hearing as well 

 as of sight. Nevertheless the drinker feels alert. In one 

 experiment made in Germany, four experienced typesetters 

 were given measured quantities of alcohol in their usual drinks, 

 fifteen minutes before beginning work, on alternate days. All 

 four of them felt that they were working faster on the days 

 when they drank the alcohol than on the other days. But 

 when the number of letters set each day was counted, it was 

 found that, with the exception of one man, who increased his 

 output each day after the first, all did considerably poorer 

 work on the alcohol days than on the non-alcohol days. 



A similar experiment was made at the University of Heidel- 

 berg, where a number of students were required to add columns 

 of figures for half an hour each day. Although they all felt 

 that they were working better on the alcohol days, it was found 

 that they had actually done better work on the non-alcohol days. 



In Sweden a number of sharpshooters from the army, when 

 under the influence of drink, thought that they were shooting 

 faster — that is, more shots per minute — and felt just as sure 

 of their aim. But the records showed that they actually shot 

 much more slowly, and very much less accurately, after drink- 

 ing alcohol than after going without it for several days. 



These experiments show not only that the effect of alcohol 

 upon mental work and sharpness of the senses is detrimental, 

 even in small quantities, but that the feelings of the worker 



253 



