ALCOHOL 229 



such a treatment is most convenient, it must be recognized 

 that alcohol can scarcely exert a single influence unmixed 

 with the others. One of the five aspects named may be 

 particularly prominent for the moment, but traces at least 

 of the others are to be looked for. It is this intricacy of 

 action which makes it so hard to weigh the facts with 

 equity. Another disturbing consideration is found in the 

 very unequal susceptibility of different persons to the 

 temporary effect of alcohol as well as to its habit-forming 

 property. 



Alcohol as a Relish. It must be sufficiently clear from 

 what has gone before that anything that adds to the zest 

 and pleasure of a meal may be expected to promote diges- 

 tion. The only exception to this rule may be looked 

 for when the relish in some way interferes with the di- 

 gestive process. Alcohol or, more correctly, alcoholic 

 beverages may certainly be held to enhance the enjoy- 

 ment of dining, and must, therefore, favor the digestion 

 and absorption of food. It is often claimed in rebuttal 

 that alcohol retards the action of enzymes. This is doubt- 

 less true of high concentrations, but no such mixtures can 

 possibly be made to exist in the stomach. Rapid dilu- 

 tion by the juices and rapid absorption of the alcohol 

 through the lining membrane combine to bring down its 

 percentage to a level which cannot hinder the normal 

 hydrolysis. 



The appeal of wines and cocktails may be said to be 

 due quite as much to the minor substances which they 

 contain as to the alcohol. Pure dilute alcohol would 

 not be attractive to many people. At the same time the 

 extractives conferring flavor and fragrance do not seem 

 to make a complete beverage when the alcohol is removed. 

 With the frank admission that the finer alcoholic drinks 

 may be promoters of digestion, we may fairly couple 

 certain qualifying statements. First, such stimulation 

 is unnecessary for those whose health is what it should be. 

 Second, the employment of such means to spur the ap- 

 petite leads readily to overeating. It is also to be ob- 



