70 HUMAN BIOLOGY 



once each time the animal moved, and so at the close of each 

 day he could determine and set down the record made by 

 each dog. He found that for a period of two months and 

 more " Bum " was only 71 per cent as active as " Nig/' while 

 " Tipsy" was only 57 per cent as active as "Topsy " ; in other 

 words, the two alcoholic dogs lost 25 per cent to 50 per cent 

 of their activity. 



89. Effect of a moderate amount of alcohol on skill and 

 endurance. A second series of experiments was made to 

 determine the comparative endurance of the four dogs and 

 their ability to accomplish things. The animals were all 

 taught to retrieve a rubber ball when it was thrown the 

 length of the gymnasium floor, a distance of 100 feet. At 

 each trial the ball was thrown 100 times, and a record was 

 kept of all the dogs that started for the ball and of the one 

 that succeeded in bringing it back. When he had averaged 

 a long series of experiments, Dr. Hodge found that " Bum " 

 and " Tipsy " secured the ball only about half as often as did 

 "Nig" and "Topsy"; the two alcoholic dogs also gave 

 evidence of much greater fatigue during the trials. 



90. Effect of a moderate amount of alcohol in producing 

 nervousness. "A very striking result of the entire re- 

 search," says Dr. Hodge, " and one entirely unexpected on 

 account of the small doses of alcohol given, has been the ex- 

 treme timidity of the alcoholic dogs. . . . While able to 

 hold their own with the other dogs in the kennel, the least 

 thing out of the ordinary caused practically all the alcoholic 

 dogs to exhibit fear, while the others evinced only curiosity 

 or interest. Whistles and bells, in the distance, never ceased 

 to throw them into a panic in which they howled and yelped, 

 while the normal dogs simply barked. This holds true of all 

 the dogs that had alcohol in any amount." 



