232 NUTRITIONAL PHYSIOLOGY 



merits in illness are connected with the fact of its appetizing 

 character and with the circumstance that it requires no 

 digestion. In this it resembles glucose. When alcohol is 

 given to a patient no call is made upon the digestive glands. 

 Hence it may be tolerated and absorbed when most foods 

 would remain undigested. So far as it can be introduced 

 into the circulation at such a time it becomes a source of 

 heat and spares the dwindling stores of the system, but 

 there is an obvious tendency on the part of physicians to 

 restrict the use of alcohol in sickness. Statistics from rep- 

 resentative hospitals show a marked shrinkage in the con- 

 sumption of liquors during the last few years. 



Alcohol as a Drug. Certain properties of alcohol may be 

 conveniently brought under this head, although no sharp 

 line of demarcation can be drawn between these qualities 

 and others to be dealt with later. The drug effect is 

 obtainable from rather large single doses in contrast to the 

 nutritive effect which was said above to be best secured 

 by small amounts given at intervals. The most striking 

 reaction of the system to alcohol in doses which may be 

 regarded as having the drug effect is manifested by the cir- 

 culatory apparatus. The taking of a glass or two of wine, 

 especially on an empty stomach, will usually cause increased 

 heart action and a flushing of the skin, accompanied by the 

 subjective impression of warmth. This bringing of more 

 blood to the surface of the body may be expected to lessen 

 the volume of blood passing through the internal organs. 



The chief value of alcohol as a drug is connected with 

 this tendency to abate internal congestions. The central 

 fact in the process which we call ''taking cold" is an excess 

 of blood in the mucous membranes. This may be con- 

 tinued for a time without ill consequences, but is always a 

 menacing condition, lowering the local resistance to in- 

 fection and so inviting disease. Alcohol has been much 

 used to "break up" incipient colds and with very good 

 success. Its influence upon the distribution of the blood 

 is not unlike that of quinin and some other drugs; it is also 

 similar to the action of hot applications to the skin. 



