ALCOHOL ON HAND AND EYE COORDINATION 189 



lost at the ends of the lines, the sheet would have been completed 

 in 189 seconds: but actually from four to nine seconds longer 

 were required in most cases, although reactor B gained a few 

 seconds per pathway towards the end of his tests, by getting out 

 of "step." 



Each of the reactors began a fresh sheet approximately every 

 ten minutes, and nine sheets were completed by each. The 

 duration of the whole test for each reactor was therefore one 

 hour and twenty minutes. During this period each consumed 

 7 ounces of rye whiskey of excellent quality, in four doses of 1 J, 

 2, 2, and 1J ounces each, each dose being followed by a " chaser" 

 of an equal quantity of water. The first dose was given im- 

 mediately after finishing the first sheet: the others at 12, 36, 

 and 47 minutes thereafter. 



Reactor A showed no appreciable deterioration at any stage 

 of the experiment, but improvement rather. There were only 

 20 touches in the final sheet as against 25 in the preliminary 

 one. This reactor kept the beat of the metronome throughout, 

 losing time only in moving from the end of one line to the begin- 

 ning of the next. Reactor B showed significant deterioration, 

 which finally became profound. There were 45 touches in 

 the final sheet as against 13 in the preliminary. This reactor 

 also lost the rhythm toward the end of the period, and gained 

 a few seconds in each sheet. 



In each case, an assistant kept the time record, while I ob- 

 served the reactor carefully. The tracings were made with a 

 pencil instead of a pen, because it was feared that under the 

 influence of alcohol the reactor might have difficulty with a pen. 

 The pencil tracings however do not photograph well, so none 

 of the tracings can be presented here. In counting the errors 

 (touches on the bounding lines) great care was observed not 

 to count an error, however close the tracing to the line, if it did 

 not actually touch. 



All the records were made in the usual writing way: i.e., with 

 the fingers supported on the writing surface. The better way 

 in general is to have no support at all except the pencil. It 

 was feared however that the alcoholized patient would begin 



