116 



Effect of Alcohol on Psycho-Physiological Functions. 



sign, i.e., +1.7 and +2.1. It is clear from table 21 that the pulse was 

 quickened most under the experimental conditions 2, 3, and 4, that is, 

 in rest after the patellar reflex, in rest after the faradic-threshold 

 measurement, and with the subject holding the voice key before the 

 word-reaction test. In the latter case the high average of —17.3 is 

 due partly to the value of —32.6 in the sixth period, which unfortu- 

 nately is the period where the data are fragmentary. With the subject 

 holding the voice key after the word-reaction test the average effect of 

 the alcohol was —11.9. Here the subject was undoubtedly not so 

 relaxed as under experimental conditions 2, 3, and 4. During the word 

 reactions (5 and 6) the average effect was —7.4, and —8.3. In this 

 measurement the subject was of course mildly active, or at least he was 

 supposed to be. The pulse durations in table 20 do not show, how- 

 ever, that he was very active, as the word-reaction pulse was on normal 

 days not faster during 5 and 6 than under the other conditions. 



Table 21 . — Effect of alcohol upon the pulse, expressed in per cent differences by periods. 



Experimental condition. 



1. Rest preceding patellar 



reflex 



2. Rest after patellar re- 



flex 



3. Rest after faradic 



threshold 



4. Holding voice key be- 



fore word reactions . . 



5. During word reactions. 



6. During word reactions. 



7. Holding voice key after 



word reactions 



Average 



Period 2. 



Period 3. 



Period 4. 



+ 1.7 

 -15.6 

 -17.0 



-16.9 



- 7.5 



- 9.8 



- 8.9 

 -10.6 



- 2.8 

 -10.3 

 -15.2 



-17.2 



- 4.0 

 -10.0 



-10.2 

 -10.0 



Period 5. Period 6. 



• 7.7 

 ■20.1 

 -18.8 



- 7.3 



- 8.6 

 -12.2 



-15.4 

 12 9 



- 9.8 

 -18.5 



- 6.3 



-12.7 



- 1.5 

 + 2.1 



-13.0 



- 8.5 



Average 

 periods 

 2 to 6. 



-21.0 

 -19.5 

 -12.3 



-32.6 



-15.2 

 -11.7 



-12.0 

 -17.8 



7.9 

 •16.8 

 •13.9 



-17.3 



- 7.4 



- 8.3 



-11.9 

 -11.9 



Last 

 period. 



- 8.2 



-14.5 



-10.0 



-22.3 

 -11.9 



- 8.6 



-14.5 

 -12.9 



The relation of the pulse duration during word reaction (averages by 

 periods for pulses 5 and 6 of table 20) to the averages for all pulse data 

 1 to 7 are given in figure 15, page 115, in which the broken-line curves 

 represent the averages for the word-reaction pulse measurements. 

 Apparently there was more relaxation during word reactions on normal 

 days than existed under any of the other conditions, for we find the 

 broken-line curve (fig. 15, normal) is slightly below the average of all 

 pulse measurements 1 to 7 in periods 1 to 4, indicating slower pulse rate. 

 On alcohol days the pulse rate during word reactions is faster than the 

 average for all conditions. These facts are pertinent to the discussion 

 of the word-reaction data on page 66, where it was found that the 

 reactions were considerably faster on alcohol days, including the pre- 

 liminary period 1, and where it was stated that usually on normal days 

 the subject did not try hard to react quickly. It is unlikely that alert 



