304 STIMULANTS AND NARCOTICS 



Such a liver is called the hobnailed or gin-drinker's liver, 

 because it is rarely found except among hard drinkers. 



Effect upon heart. The heart as well as the liver 

 may be more or less seriously influenced by the frequent 

 and regular use of alcoholic beverages. The more con- 

 centrated beverages tend to produce deposits of fat about 

 the heart which interfere with its action. Sometimes 

 even, they give rise to a fatty degeneration of its mus- 

 cles. The more dilute beverages, as beer, when taken 

 in excessive amounts throw such an undue bulk of 

 fluid into the circulation that the heart is overtaxed. 



Upon blood-vessels. The blood-vessels are also fre- 

 quently affected by chronic alcoholism. Their walls may 

 become so weakened that they are unable to withstand 

 the pressure of the blood. This is especially true of the 

 brain, where their bursting results in apoplexy and 

 paralysis. Dilatation of the veins, especially of the 

 face and nose, is also one of the effects of alcoholism, 

 although it is not infrequently due to other causes. 



Upon nervous system. Whereas the heart, liver 

 and blood-vessels are injured only by the prolonged use 

 of alcohol, the nervous system shows the immediate poi- 

 sonous effects of a single dose, as well as the chronic 

 effect of its continued use. The immediate effect, as we 

 have seen, is largely one of paralysis. The chronic 

 effects are far-reaching and much more serious. They 

 may show themselves as acute pain, due to the inflam- 

 mation of the nerve tracts; as acute mania with hallu- 

 cinations, that is, as delirium tremens; as epilepsy; or 

 fts insanity. Often, however, the chronic effects are 

 so intangible that they do not appear until after the 

 system has been weakened by disease. This is especially 

 true in the case of habitual moderate drinkers, who 

 often seem to have escaped all bad effects from the use 



