182 LIFE PROCESSES OF MAN 



151. Effect of Alcohol on Digestion. — Alcohol taken into 

 the digestive tube is closely related to the question of in- 

 digestion. The lining (mucous membrane) of the stomach 

 and intestine is delicate and tender, and contains thousands 

 of cells which secrete the gastric juice, and many more 

 thousands that help to digest the food. When alcohol 

 comes in contact with these delicate cells, it prevents them 

 from doing their normal work. The result is that food is 

 not properly digested. 



Indigestion disguised by alcohol *but not cured. — It is a 

 serious error to regard alcohol as a genuine remedy for 

 indigestion or abdominal pain. It is true the sense of 

 pain is sometimes abolished by alcohol, and as a result of 

 this many a man believes that alcohol aids his digestion, 

 whereas it merely exerts a numbing effect on the stomach 

 nerves, and his indigestion is disguised rather than removed. 

 In fact, instead of being cured the mischief is increased 

 since digestion is retarded. Some digestive medicines 

 contain enough alcohol to be injurious. Alcoholic drinks 

 taken with meals make the food hard to digest because the 

 alcohol makes the food tough. 



SUMMARY 



Man is able to live in all climates and localities on the 

 earth. No plant or other animal can do this. Man con- 

 trols his surroundings. Plants and animals are controlled 

 by their surroundings. Like other animals, man passes 

 tli rough the periods of growth known as youth, maturity, 

 and old age. 



Man has a definite set of digestive organs that are more 

 highly developed than those of any other animal. These 

 digestive organs prepare proteins, carbohydrates, and fats 

 so that they pass into the blood. The blood is forced 



