158 Life and Health 



The warm and flushed condition, or the " glow," of the 

 face which follows the social glass of alcoholic liquor is a 

 familiar illustration of this loss of inhibitory action. The 

 alcohol has caused a partial paralysis of that part of the 

 vaso-motor center which controls the arteries of the face. 

 In other words, they are no longer under perfect control, 

 and the blood is flushed into the blood vessels in greater 

 quantities. The dilatation of the superficial blood vessels 

 may become permanent, resulting in the red-streaked 

 appearance of the nose and face, so common with those 

 who habitually use strong drink. 



240. Effect of Alcohol upon the Heart. This "whipping 

 up" of the heart, produced by the action of alcoholic liquors, 

 cuts short its periods of rest and after a time may cause 

 serious heart exhaustion. If the alcohol is repeated and 

 continued, it may involve grave changes of the structure of 

 the heart. 



In still other cases the heart may suffer from what is 

 called fatty degeneration ; that is, minute particles of fat 

 are deposited in large amounts in its tissues in place of the 

 normal material. 



241. Effect of Tobacco upon the Heart. The nicotine of 

 tobacco has a deadening effect upon the nerves that con- 

 trol the heart's action. 1 The heart beats often become 

 irregular, feeble, and fluttering. Frequently there is dizzi- 

 ness, with short breath, palpitation on slight exertion, 

 extreme pallor, and fainting. 



In this erratic condition of the pulse the physician may 



1 Tobacco depends for its activity upon the presence of an alkaloid, 

 nicotine, a poison of such intensity that it has caused death in three 

 minutes. Even one thirty-second of a grain will cause serious symptoms. 

 Tobacco is a powerful depressant to the motor nerves. The sensory 

 nerves are probably also depressed. Nicotine has a very distinct influence 

 upon the circulation. WOOD'S Therapeutics (Edition of 1901). 



