328 THE BLOOD AND ITS CIRCULATION 



ling the blood vessels and heart. Even very dilute alcohol acts 

 upon the muscles of the tiny blood vessels ; consequently, more 

 blood is allowed to enter them, and, as the small vessels are usually 

 near the surface of the body, the habitual redness seen in the face 

 of hard drinkers is the ultimate result. 



^' The first effect of diluted alcohol is to make the heart beat 

 faster. This fills the small vessels near the surface. A feeling of 

 warmth is produced which causes the drinker to feel that he was 

 warmed by the drink. This feeling, however, soon passes away, 

 and is succeeded by one of chilliness. The body temperature, at 

 first raised by the rather rapid oxidation of the alcohol, is soon 

 lowered by the increased radiation from the surface. 



" The immediate stimulation to the heart's action soon passes 

 away and, like other muscles, the muscles of the heart lose power 

 and contract with less force after having been excited by alcohol." 

 — Macy, Physiology. 



Alcohol, when brought to act directly on heart muscle, lessens the 

 force of the beat. It may even cause changes in the tissues, which 

 eventually result in the breaking of the walls of a blood vessel or 

 the plugging of a vessel with a blood clot. This condition may 

 cause the disease known as apoplexy. 



Effects of Tobacco upon the Circulation. — " The frequent use of 

 cigars or cigarettes by the young seriously affects the quality of the 

 blood. The red blood corpuscles are not fully developed and 

 charged with their normal supply of life-giving oxygen. This 

 causes paleness of the skin, often noticed in the face of the young 

 smoker. Palpitation of the heart is also a common result, fol- 

 lowed by permanent weakness, so that the whole system is 

 enfeebled, and mental vigor is impaired as well as physical 

 strength." — Macy, Physiology. 



