SUMMARY. 429 



albuminous solutions less permeable, and partly to its 

 direct action upon particles of naked and living bio- 

 plasm. Alcohol reduces the permeating tendency of the 

 serum ; it checks the disintegration of blood corpuscles ; 

 it prevents the rapid growth of living matter; and inter- 

 feres with or modifies chemical changes taking place in 

 organic fluids. When these changes are proceeding 

 very rapidly, the capillary circulation beginning to fail, 

 the heart's action becoming very weak and fluttering, 

 and the strength ebbing fast, alcohol may save life. 



In conclusion, the local and general action of 

 alcohol may be shortly summed up as follows : 



1. In external wounds, and in internal diseases 

 where alcohol acts beneficially, the good result is in 

 part at least due to the alcohol checking the increased 

 action already established. 



2. Alcohol does not act as a food ; it does not 

 nourish tissues. It may diminish waste by altering 

 the consistence and chemical properties of fluids and 

 solids. It cuts short the life of rapidly growing 

 bioplasm, or causes it to live more slowly ; and thus 

 tends to cause a diseased texture, in which vital 

 changes are abnormally active, to return to its normal 

 and much less active condition. 



3. In " exhausting " diseases, alcohol seems to act 

 partly by diminishing very rapidly the abnormally in- 

 creased growth of bioplasm. The quantity required 

 will depend upon the extent to which the changes 

 alluded to have proceeded. In extreme cases, half an 



