1870.] 



Action of Claret on the Human Body. 



77 



It will be seen, then, that the pulse at 4, 6, and 8 o'clock in the wine period 

 is much above the corresponding numbers in the water period. The 

 effect of the wine is largely perceptible for eight hours, and is traceable 

 during all the observations. The mean of the first five days is 80*34 

 beats per minute, and of the last five days 80*78 beats. 



The effect of increasing the wine to 20 ounces is chiefly perceived in the 

 greater acceleration of the pulse at 4 o'clock in the last five days as com- 

 pared with the first five. When 10 ounces were taken, the mean pulse at 

 4 o'clock was 84*2, or two beats per minute less than at 2 o'clock, where- 

 as in the 20- ounce days the mean pulse at 4 o'clock was four beats above 

 the 2 o'clock rate. 



Pulse after wine. 











Hours. 









Mean of 



Days. 





















8 A.M. 



10 A.M. 



12 noon. 



2 P.M. 



4 P.M. 



6 P.M. 



8 P.M. 



10 P.M. 



the days. 



21st day ... 



68 



86 



74 



96 



84 



90 



70 



69 



79-6 



22nd day... 



78 



84 



72 



80 



78 



83 



81 



69 



78-1 



23rd day... 



72 



80 



74 



84 



84 



78 



81 



72 



78-1 



24th day... 



73 



79 



76 



83 



79 



84 



82 



74 



78-75 



25th day... 



70 



77 



73 



77 



74 



82 



81 



78 



765 



26th day... 



69 



84 



77 



82 



78 



84 



77 



65 



77 



27th day... 



70 



75 



95 



99 



89 



92 



92 



80 



84-5 



28th day... 



70 



79 



87 



86 



84 



86 



84 



84 



82-5 



29th day... 



74 



82 



74 



84 



84 



80 



83 



79 



80' 



30th day... 



70 



80 



70 



96 



89 



79 



74 



72 



78-75 



Means 



71-4 



80-6 



77-2 



86-7 



82-3 



83-8 



80-5 



74-2 



79-38 



The pulse continued high during the whole of this period, the excess 

 being chiefly in the afternoon hours ; even 10 days after the wine was left 

 off it had not returned to its proper rate ; but this was probably in part 

 owing to indisposition, which will be referred to presently. 



Sphygmographic observations were taken three times a day ; but as the 

 curves from alcohol were so fully given in the former paper, we have thought 

 it necessary only to put in nine curves, three before, four during, and two 

 after wine. We have selected 3 o'clock as the hour, so that the influence 

 of food is perceptible in all : the effect of the wine was the same as that 

 of alcohol, though of course in a degree proportional to the amount. 



We also attempted to determine the ratio of the radial pulse, heart's 

 action, and respiration by means of Dr. Burdon- Sanderson's ingenious 

 cardiograph. Unfortunately we did not obtain the instrument in time to 

 determine the curves properly in the period before wine, and we are there- 

 fore not able to give proper comparisons. We could not, however, so far 

 trace any effect on the number or depth of the respirations. 



