160 EFFECTS OF ALCOHOL UPON THE HUMAN BODY. 



of different physiologists on this part of the subject. Kretschy 

 observed in a woman with gastric fistula that alcohol retarded 

 digestion. Buchner found that in the human stomach alcohol, 

 wine, and beer retarded digestion, but less so than in artificial 

 digestion. Bikfavi observed in dogs a retardation of digestion 

 with even small quantities of alcohol. Beer and wine showed no 

 favorable influence, the latter retarding digestion in large quanti- 

 ties. Ogata states that beer, wine, and brandy retard digestion 

 noticeably. Schelhaas observed that in the living stomach wine 

 did not retard digestion so long as there was free HC1 present. 

 Gluzinski found that alcohol retarded proteid digestion and 

 brought about the secretion of a very active, strongly acid gastric 

 juice. Henczincki observed no bad effect on digestion with the 

 use of beer. Blumenau found that 25-50 per cent, alcohol dimin- 

 ishes stomach digestion during the first two or three hours. Wolff- 

 hardt observed in a healthy man that 15-20 grams of absolute 

 alcohol interfered with proteid digestion ; that the effect of cognac 

 varied with the period of digestion during which it was taken ; 

 and that wines tended to promote digestion. Brunton states that 

 alcohol increases the movements and the secretion of the stomach, 

 and by mixing its contents more thoroughly with gastric juice 

 accelerates digestion. Gluzinski on the other hand, finds that 

 alcohol diminishes the mechanical action of the stomach to a 

 moderate degree. 



Chittenden and his associates experimented upon a dog to ascer- 

 tain the effect of alcohol upon (1) variations in acidity and (2) 

 time of digestion. The results are very interesting and in- 

 structive. 



In these experiments 50 grams of meat were given in each, 

 sometimes alone, sometimes with water, and sometimes with 

 alcohol of varying strengths, and sometimes with various alcoholic 

 beverages. When meat alone was given the stomach was empty 

 (end of gastric digestion) in 2 hours and 55 minutes. When 

 water was given with the meat, the time of digestion varied from 

 2 hours and 15 minutes to 3 hours ; an average of 2 hours and 40 

 minutes. With alcohol, varying from 22 to 30 per cent., the 

 time was from 3 hours to 3 hours and 45 minutes ; average, 3 

 hours and 20 minutes. With weak alcoholic beverages, wine and 

 beer, the time of digestion was from 3 hours to 3 hours and 15 

 minutes ; average, 3 hours and 10 minutes. With strong alcoholic 

 beverages, it was with whiskey, 2 hours in one experiment and 3 

 hours in another; with gin, 3 hours ; with brandy, 2 hours and 40 

 minutes ; an average of 2 hours and 40 minutes. " The conclusions 

 to be drawn from these experiments would seem to be that alcohol 

 does not retard proteid digestion to any great degree ; taking the 

 set of experiments quoted in connection with another set, there is 

 a slight retardation, and that more marked with malted beverages. 



