THE NERVOUS SYSTEM 41 o 



of life. All stimulants, narcotics, tonics, which affect the nen-ous 

 system in whatever way, reduce the truthfuhiess of seiisation, 

 thought, and action. Toward insanity all such influences lead; 

 and their effect, slight though it be, is of the same nature as mania. 

 The man who would see clearly, think truthfully, and act effectively 

 must avoid them all. Emergency aside, he cannot safely force 

 upon his nervous system even the smallest falsehood." 



Dr. Hammond said: ''The more purely intellectual qualities 

 of the mind rarely escape being involved in the general disturbance 

 [caused by alcohol]. The power of application, of appreciating 

 the bearing of facts, of drawing distinctions, of exercising the 

 judgment aright, and even of comprehension, are all more or less 

 impaired. The memory is among the first faculties to suffer. , . 

 The will is always lessened in force and activity. The ability 

 to determine between two or more alternatives, to resolve to act 

 when action is necessary, no longer exists in full power, and the 

 individual becomes vacillating, uncertain, the prey to his various 

 passions, and to the influence of vicious counsels.'' 



"Helmholtz told us in his autobiography that if he took wine 

 while occupied with a mathematical or scientific problem, his 

 thinking powers were interfered with, and he had to wait for the 

 alcoholic effects to work off before his inspiration returned." — 

 Dr. Adolph Rupp, Neiu York Medical Journal, July 9, 1898. 



"Finally we have still to declare that alcohol hinders the action 

 of the highest mental faculties. A remark made by Helniholtz 

 at the celebration of his seventieth birthday is very interesting 

 in this connection. He spoke of the ideas flashing up from the 

 depths of the unknown soul, that lies at the foundation of every 

 truly creative intellectual production, and closed his account of 

 their origin with these words: 'The smallest quantity of an alco- 

 hoUc beverage seemed to frighten these ideas away.' " — Dh. G. 

 Sims Woodhead, Professor of Pathology, Cambridge University. 



England. 



W. Boyd Dawkins says: "I cannot drink beer when I am using 

 my brain, and do not take it when I have anything to think al)out." 

 — Quoted by Dr. M. L. Holbrook, Journal Medical Temperance 

 Association f January, 1898, p. 21. 



