120 A STUDY OF THE INFLUENCE 



lating effect leading to a sudden increase in the flow of saliva. 

 This acceleration of secretion, however, is of brief duration. 

 The stimulating effect is manifested not only by an increase 

 in the volume of the secretion, but also by an increase in both 

 organic and inorganic constituents. The effect produced is 

 in no sense peculiar to alcohol, but is common to many so- 

 called stimulants, such as dilute acid (vinegar), ether-vapor, 

 etc. Indeed the effect is precisely analogous to that induced 

 by an increase in intensity of stimulation, when the salivary 

 glands are electrically excited through their nerves. 



As to the possibility of alcoholic fluids absorbed from the 

 stomach giving rise to an indirect stimulation of salivary 

 secretion, or exercising any appreciable influence upon the 

 composition of the secretion, our results give a negative an- 

 swer. Thus, alcoholic fluids introduced directly into the 

 stomach (of dogs) by injection through the stomach wall, 

 thus doing away with any local action in the mouth, produce 

 no appreciable effect upon the rate of secretion, as induced 

 by a constant external stimulus, of either submaxillary or 

 sublingual saliva. Even doses of alcohol sufficient to pro- 

 duce prolonged narcosis when introduced in this way fail to 

 check the flow of saliva. There is likewise no specific influ- 

 ence exerted on the composition of the secretion. Hence, so 

 far as our results go, alcohol and alcoholic fluids are without 

 any specific effect upon the secretion of saliva, except to pro- 

 duce a transitory stimulation of secretion while in the mouth 

 cavity. 



Upon gastric secretion, alcohol and alcoholic fluids have a 

 marked effect, increasing very greatly both the flow of gastric 

 juice and also its content of acid and total solids. Further, 

 this action is exerted not only by the presence of alcoholic 

 fluids in the stomach, but also indirectly through the influence 

 of alcohol absorbed from the intestine. Thus ordinary ethyl 

 alcohol introduced into the empty stomachs of dogs, with the 

 duodenum ligated, shows a marked stimulating action upon 

 gastric secretion as compared with the action of water 

 under like conditions increasing not only the volume of 



