16 Effect of Alcohol on Psycho-Physiological Functions. 



work of the subject was lighter during the second series. It was, how- 

 ever, more from the practical standpoints of availability of the subject 

 and laboratory convenience that the measurements were made on 

 consecutive days. 



The alcohol was given on the second, fourth, and sixth days. This 

 frequency in administering the alcohol presents the well-known possi- 

 bility of an additive effect. 1 On the other hand, in experiments in 

 which the additive effect has been demonstrated, the alcohol dose has 

 always been greater than 30 c.c. On close analysis it must be clear that 

 such an effect, provided it exists in a measurable degree with doses of 

 30 c.c, would, so far as these experiments are concerned, theoretically 

 cause a smaller resulting difference to be shown between alternate alco- 

 hol and normal days, as such an effect from an alcohol day would apply 

 more to the succeeding normal day than to the following alcohol day, 

 from which it is separated by 48 hours. 2 The indicated alcohol effect 

 is possibly somewhat reduced by the use of successive days. 



It might be supposed 3 that in this second series of experiments every 

 effort would be made to exercise a rigid regulation and control of the 

 life of the subject during the period of experimentation, especially in 

 consideration of the fact that Dodge and Benedict felt that it was not 

 impossible that Subject VI was taking food or drugs that masked the 

 effect of the alcohol. 4 This matter in reference to the later experiments 

 was carefully considered in conference with Dodge and Benedict, and 

 it was decided not to require the subject to live at the Laboratory dur- 

 ing the experimental days, under conditions of constant observation. 

 Moreover, it did not seem desirable 5 to rigidly predetermine the kind, 

 amount, and time for taking food and fluids antecedent to the experi- 

 ment, or other conditions, such as the amount and kind of mental and 

 physical work. As a matter of fact, these conditions were as well reg- 



1 A. Smith, Beitr. u. d. V. intern. Kongr. z. Bekampf. d. Missbr. geist. Getranke, Basel, 1896; 

 Fiirer, ibid.; Kurz and Kraepelin, Kraepelin's Psychol. Arbeit, 1901, 3, p. 417. 



2 Kurz and Kraepelin, Kraepelin's Psychol. Arbeit, 1901, 3, p. 454. 



3 Rivers, in a review of the Dodge and Benedict report (Science, 1916, n. s., 44, p. 102) says: 

 "In such survey work, in which a number of subjects were employed, it was perhaps impossible 

 to regulate their lives more completely and thus bring the research nearer to the ideal of the 

 method of difference, but this regulation should not be neglected in more intensive work." 



* The original protocols for February 4, 1914 (see table 1, section II) are pertinent to this dis- 

 cussion. The subject came to the Laboratory at 4 h 10 m p. m.; his last food was at 12 h 30 m p. m., 

 and consisted of chicken soup, potatoes, and plum pudding. He had drunk one bottle of beer the 

 previous evening. During the preliminary adjustments the subject remarked: " I came prepared 

 for the test to-day." When pressed to explain what he meant, he said, " I am not as tired as last 

 time, and I drank all the water I needed before I came." On this day use was made of dose B, 

 that is, 45 c.c. of absolute alcohol diluted to a total volume of 225 c.c. The subject asked per- 

 mission to urinate at 5 h 25 m p. m. The remarks made by the subject on this occasion, together 

 with the fact that the influence of alcohol on Subject VI seemed to be different from the average 

 of the normal group, aroused some suspicion. Nothing has been discovered, however, since that 

 time to substantiate this suspicion in any way, and it seems probable that the subject's "pre- 

 paredness" consisted solely in his having taken an extra drink of water. Although the alcohol 

 was given in a 20 per cent solution, it is evident that under these conditions of the food taken only 

 three hours before the experiment and water immediately before, the dilution was considerable 

 after the alcohol had reached the stomach. 



6 Dodge and Benedict, Carnegie Inst. Wash. Pub. No. 232, 1915, pp. 19 and 27. 



