ALCOHOL 285 



Respiration. — The respiration is not appreciably in- 

 fluenced by medicinal doses of alcohol in animals. In man 

 slight reflex stimulation occurs, with increase in rate, owing 

 to peripheral excitation of the alimentary tract. Enormous 

 doses paralyze the respiratory centres. 



Temperature. — The temperature, both in health and 

 fever, may be lowered by alcohol, because alcohol causes re- 

 laxation of the peripheral blood vessels and loss of heat 

 by radiation from the skin. The larger the quantity of 

 alcohol ingested, the greater the fall of temperature. In 

 alcoholic narcosis, vasomotor paralysis and, dessened move- 

 ments lead to great loss of heat, particularly if the animal 

 be at the same time exposed to cold. In small doses, alcohol 

 may sometimes increase the temperature in man by leading 

 to excitement and muscular movements, but the sensation 

 of warmth perceived in man following the use of alcohol is 

 generally fallacious, and is simply diie to flushing of the 

 vessels of the skin and stomach. Some of the lowest temper- 

 atures ever observed have been in drunken persons exposed 

 to .cold. 



Tissue Change. — Metabolic activity is not altered to 

 any degree by the action of alcohol in ordinary amounts. 

 In serving as a non-nitrogenous food, of course, alcohol may 

 influence carbonic dioxide exhalation as do other foods of 

 its kind. But the drug does not exert a speciflc depressing 

 action on the blood corpuscles or cell protoplasm to hinder 

 oxidation, as was formerly thought. 



Deductions drawn from the action of alcohol on tissue 

 change as shown by carbonic dioxide and urea elimination are 

 faulty. Alcohol increases or diminishes tissue change and 

 oxidation only in proportion as it stimulates or interferes with 

 muscular movement. In the elimination of nitrogen that es- 

 caping as uric acid is greater than normal, while that as 

 urea is relatively less. 



Nervous System. — Moderate doses of alcohol stimulate, 

 while excessive quantities depress and paralyze the nervous 

 system. This action is similar to that exerted upon the 

 circulatory organs. The local effects of alcohol upon the 

 peripheral nerves .resembles the action after absorption upon 

 the system generally. The nervous system is affected m 

 nearly the same order and manner as by anesthetics, and 



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