216 THE HUMAN MOTOR 



Is alcohol, therefore, a useful aliment ? Can it take the place 

 of carbo-hydrates, fats or proteids in the ration p This is how 

 Atwater and Benedict ( x ) ^replied to the question : The subject, 

 thirty-one years old, and weighing 68 kilogrammes, received 72 

 grammes of alcohol (equivalent to a bottle of Rhine wine) in an 

 infusion of coffee (650 grammes) in the following manner: 11-50 

 grrrs. for breakfast, 7-60 grms.' at 10.30 a.m., 19-10 grits, for 

 lunch, 7-60 grms. at 3.30 p.m., 19-10 grms. for dinner, and 7-60 

 grms. in the evening. Making a deduction of about 3 grammes, 

 which were eliminated^ natuiaily, by the lungs, the kidneys, 

 and the skin, the dose was equal to 491 Calories, and it was 

 substituted for a pait of the ration. The American investi- 

 gators observed that 2,283 Calories was registered in the caloii- 

 meter. The calculation relative to the metabolism of the ration 

 containing alcohol led to 2,268 Calories. These results are fairly 

 consistent, for in another experiment 2,394 Calories and 2,434 

 Calories were obtained. 



In consequence, all, or nearly all, the alcohol was consumed in 

 the organism and it was noticed that the subject got slightly 

 fatter. Therefore Atwater and Benedict concluded that the 

 kinetic energy resulting from the oxydization was absolutely equal 

 to that of the combustion of the alcohol, and that the latter 

 served to protect the proteids and the fats against oxydization. ( 2 ) 

 No reasoning prevails against the fact that " bound " energy, 

 calorific, can have alcohol as its oiigin in the living cells. 



Some experiments undertaken by Chauveau ( 3 ) also show that 

 alcohol can be substituted for the aliments composing a ration, 

 to a certain degree, but that this substitution is disadvantageous 

 to the production of mechanical labour. Therefore, in a ration 

 properly adapted for the performance of work by the subject, 

 alcohol cannot replace carbo-hydrates and in this respect the con- 

 clusions of Atwater and others need emendation. ( 4 ) 



Glycerine (triatomic alcohol) in small doses causes an economy 

 in fats and carbo-hydrates, if sugar could be derived frorr it, it 

 might even be a source of mechanical energy. ( 5 ) 



The use of alcohol as a drink, in moderation, is not therefore 

 to be condemned in principle. It stimulates the digestive 



(*) Atwater and Benedict (Bulletin, No. 69, p. 23, sqq. ; The Physiological 

 Aspects of the Liquor Problem, Part II., p. 149, sqq.). 



( 2 ) Loc. cit., p. 112. 



(*) A. Chauveau (Comptes Rendus Acad. Sciences, vol. cxxxii p 65 

 110, 1901). 



( 4 ) Rosemann (PflUeger's Archiv., vol. Ixxxvi., p. 327, 1901 xciv n 

 657, 1903). etc. 



( 6 ) Munk (PflUeger's Archiv., vol. xlvi., p. 303, 1890) ; Leo (ibid vol 

 xciii., p. 269, 1903). 



