EPPECT OP ALCOHOL UPON THE CIRCULATION 211 



In larger doses alcohol produces effects in one of two 

 ways: 



(a) It may cause the death or degeneration of the cells 

 with which it comes in contact. For example, it may 

 cause the cells of the heart to become charged with fat and 

 thus weakened, or it may make the cells of the artery walls 

 brittle and unable to withstand pressui-e, or finally, it may 

 actually poison and destroy the cells of certain tissues. 



(b) When brought in contact with the cells of the 

 tissues it may so injure them that congestion and inflam- 

 mation results. This inflammation may cause a disturb- 

 ance of the natural action of the congested part due to 

 the swelled condition, or it may stimulate unnatural groniih 

 on the part of the surrounding tissue cells. Another bad 

 result of this congestion may be the stretching of the arte- 

 ries to such an extent that they are unable to recover their 

 natural size, and thus- produce continued congestion in the 

 part affected. 



The extent of the injury which alcohol may produce in 

 the body by either one of these means, that is, directly 

 or indirectly, is a subject for a medical text, and we need 

 only outline here the method of the action. In brief, then, 

 it is evident that alcohol in either large or small doses acts 

 upon the nervous centers and through them upon the 

 vaso-dilator nerves, producing abnormal distribution of 

 the blood, and that in large doses it is actually poisonous 

 to the cells with which it comes in contact. While the 

 extent of the injury produced by small doses may be only 

 temporary, continued use or excess causes such changes 

 in the distribution of blood as to be extremely dangerous 

 to the system. 



