338 



ON WINE DRINKING AND ITS EFFECTS. 



mnsclea generally ; fi, reHpiratory ccDtros ; 7, heart. Under 

 No. ii cornea the interference with the power of speech ; and 

 under No. 5 I should like to point out that the characteristic 

 half-drunken expression of face with the eyebrow raised and 

 the eyelid half shut is due to the early paralysis of the 

 Tjcvator PalpebrsB, and the consequent increased action of 

 the Occipito-frontalis to keep the eyes open. 



Of the excessive use of alcohol I do not wish to speak, 

 except to say that it acts as a very sure, if slow poison ; and 

 that its action on the tissues, and especially on the nervous 

 system of the parent, is very commonly handed down to the 

 offspring;, often in some form of mental aberration. 



Summary and Gonclusion. 



We may, I think, say in conclusion, that wine in its 

 etrocts on the Imman body must bo looked upon as a 

 mixture of several itigre<lients, and its action is therefore 

 complex. 



That in moderate doses in. healthy people, provided it is 

 not too strong, it rather aids than retards digestion, but in 

 my opinion, in the perfectly healthy, it does neither ; in 

 strong doses it certainly very materially retards it. In 

 some conditions of ill health it may be beneficial, but no 

 broad rules can bo laid down. The feeling that wine is 

 wanted is certainly not an indication that it would bo of use. 

 On all points of the body its action depends on the .amount 

 taken and the degree of dilution ; weak wines are almost 

 always preferable to strong, uidess an immediate effect is 

 wanted. 



I must again repeat that I believe good wine is so dif- 

 ferent in its action from ba,d, that they can hardly be 

 considered to belong to the same class of drinks. 



