108 FOOD AND DRINK 



issued, the quality of food and other circumstances being made 

 as nearly equal as possible. Hence the conclusion that not 

 only is alcohol not a food, but is injurious in itself, and a 

 detriment to the food taken. 



45. Does Alcohol Relieve Thirst? One of the most striking 

 properties of alcohol is its affinity to water. When swallowed, 

 therefore, its tendency is to deprive the body of water, and to 

 create thirst rather than to relieve it. It may then be stated 

 that alcoholic drinks which appear to quench thirst do so by 

 means of the water that, in greater or less quantities, dilutes 

 the alcohol they contain. Water, the peerless beverage of 

 nature, does its work better in proportion as it remains free 

 from alcohol. To maintain normal action, the delicate organs 

 of the body require a uniform supply of water. When alcohol 

 is introduced, it draws the water to itself, and leaves the organs 

 without their share of proper moisture ; hence, after death from 

 alcoholism, we find them affected in different degrees, being 

 drier and harder than is natural. 



46. Does Alcohol Enable its Consumers to Resist Extreme 

 Cold? If this could be proved to be a fact, some of its 

 boasted usefulness would receive support. In extreme cold 

 climates, the inhabitants are enabled to live comfortably by 

 consuming vast quantities of animal food alone, especially if it 

 is abundantly oily. Will alcohol act in a similar way or assist 

 in maintaining heat ? Experience and observation say no. 



47. Before the thermometer was applied to the testing of 

 the body's temperature, it was commonly supposed, by reason 

 of the sensations of warmth, that alcohol increased bodily heat. 

 When, however, this new test was applied, it became apparent 

 that those sensations were deceptive, and that there had been 

 an actual fall in temperature as the result of imbibing alcohol. 

 The surface of the stomach is irritated by this powerful agent, 

 causing the nerves of sensation to convey to the brain the im- 

 pression that something has entered the stomach which is pro- 



45. Does alcohol relieve thirst? 



4<i. Does alcohol onabljf one to resist cold ? 



47. How is the temperature of the body aSected ? 



