CHAPTER XXXV 

 ALCOHOL AND TOBACCO 



Human beings are not satisfied as a rule, with wholesome 

 food and drink, but they manifest a perverse tendency 

 toward the use of artificial stimulants and narcotics, 

 whose influence on both mind and body is almost always 

 injurious and frequently disastrous. While alcohol has 

 been alluded to in discussing various bodily functions, 

 its use is so deeply entrenched in popular custom that it 

 is desirable to give here a fuller account of its physiological 

 effects. The influence of alcohol has been studied by Pro- 

 fessor Hodge by means of experiments on dogs, extending 

 over five years. Four pups of the same litter were chosen 

 and observed for some time to see if they showed any dif- 

 ferences previous to giving them alcohol. The two most 

 vigorous pups were given a daily portion of alcohol, but 

 never enough to produce intoxication. In a few months 

 the alcoholic dogs became more sleepy and lifeless, whereas 

 the other dogs which were given no alcohol were bright 

 and active. Experiments in which all four dogs were given 

 a hundred trials in chasing a ball thrown to a distance of a 

 hundred feet showed that the alcoholic dogs secured the 

 ball only about one-half as often as the others. The al- 

 coholic dogs were much more nervous, and when all the 

 dogs contracted the distemper, the disease was much 

 more severe on those that were given alcohol. 



These results are quite typical of the effects of alcohol 

 on human beings. Dr. Parkes had the opportunity of 

 testing the influence of alcohol on two lots of soldiers. The 



