DILUTED ALCOHOL. 347 



sensation of coolness. This is succeeded by a feeling of 

 warmth in the part; which also becomes red from tempo- 

 rary paralysis of its blood-vessels, causing them to dilate. 

 If the evaporation be prevented, as by putting a little alco- 

 hol on the skin and covering it with a thimble, the alcohol 

 acts as an irritant; it causes smarting, and finally sets up 

 inflammation. 



On mucous membranes alcohol acts much as on the skin, 

 but its irritant effect is more marked. Placed on the tongue 

 it causes a feeling of coolness, followed by a hot biting sen- 

 sation, and a red congested condition of the area with which 

 it came in contact. Introduced into the stomach of a 

 rabbit or dog, where it cannot readily evaporate, strong 

 alcohol causes congestion and inflammation varying in in- 

 tensity with its amount. If the dose is large the animal 

 dies almost instantly, because the powerfully irritated sen- 

 sory nerves of the gastric mucous membranes reflexly ex- 

 cite a nerve-centre which stops the heart's beat. 



Diluted Alcohol does not produce the above-described 

 direct actions of the pure liquid: this latter taken into the 

 stomach acts as a powerful irritant poison, and generally 

 produces its main effects on the stomach itself. Alcohol in 

 such proportion as it exists in most alcoholic drinks exerts 

 much less local action on the gastric mucous membrane; but 

 it is absorbed and carried in the blood and lymph through 

 the body, and if steadily taken day after day acts upon and 



When evaporation is prevented? Action on mucous membranes? 

 Illustrate by tongue. By stomach. 



How does strong alcohol when swallowed sometimes cause sud- 

 den death? 



How does the action of dilute alcohol differ from that of concen- 

 trated? What results follow its frequent absorption? What condi- 

 tions influence the organs soonest injured? Why are alcoholic dis- 

 c-uses often not recognized until incurable? 



