EFFECT OF ALCOHOL 15& 



Causes of sleeplessness. Sleeplessness, on the con- 

 trary, has been shown to be due to an overactive circu- 

 lation in the brain. The remedy is to reduce by one 

 means or another the amount of blood flowing to the 

 brain. A light meal which draws a portion of it to 

 the stomach, exercise which distributes it to the muscles, 

 a hot water bag which tends to open up the blood- 

 vessels in the feet are all methods of accomplishing 

 this. 



Effects of alcohol. Another factor which may seri- 

 ously interfere with the economical distribution of blood 

 is the use of alcohol. As a beverage alcohol dilates the 

 blood-vessels in the skin and as a result the blood goes 

 to the skin in larger amounts. In cold weather, this 

 effect opposes the natural adjustment by which the 

 blood within the body is kept away from the skin, in 

 order to protect it against a too rapid loss of heat. Al- 

 though there is a superficial feeling of warmth from 

 the alcohol because of the rush of blood to the skin, yet 

 the total amount of heat in the body is quickly dimin- 

 ished. Many lives have been lost by freezing under 

 these circumstances, and many more by pneumonia and 

 other diseases induced by the severe chill. 



External pressure. The proper distribution of the 

 blood is subject also to local interference by external 

 pressure, such as that exerted by tight circular garters. 

 External pressure ordinarily interferes with the circu- 

 lation in the lymphatics and veins rather than in the 

 arteries. Unlike the arterial blood, the lymph and the 

 venous blood have not the high pressure necessary to 

 force themselves forward under an obstruction. As a 

 result, the part becomes cold and swollen and the nutri- 

 tion of the tissues is often interfered with. When tight 

 garters are worn, the veins become unduly dilated so 



