CREATURES OF MYSTERY 
189 
glands when one has any kind of emotional disturbance, and 
its purpose is to act as a powerful stimulant to key up the 
body for the excessive demands which are to be made upon it, 
just as the hormones released in the blood signal the liver, 
during physical or emotional excitement, to release into the 
blood an extra supply of sugar to build up muscle fiber to take 
the place of that which is being burned up. 
Adrenalin is the emergency drug of the body which enables 
one to perform astonishing feats of strength. The stored-up 
sugar energy of the liver is instantly liberated to the muscles; 
the blood vessels in the brain and muscles are greatly dilated 
in order that sufficient energy and oxygen will be available; 
the vessels in the stomach and other internal organs, as well as 
the skin, promptly contract, giving up very large portions of 
their blood supply to the muscles; the heart promptly “shifts 
into high,” in order to speed up the circulation, and the nerves 
of respiration increase the rate of inhalation. In short, the 
individual is placed on a “wartime footing,” with every avail¬ 
able ounce of power mobilized and ready for instant action, at 
the expense of the normal peacetime activities of the body. 
The excessive supply of adrenalin which is thus poured out 
under the stress of fear or anger and distributed from the 
arteries to the veins and capillaries has a subtle and penetrat¬ 
ing odor which is instantly sensed by the keen perceptive organs 
of the bee, dog, snake or other animal, arousing a feeling of 
resentment and antagonism, with the impulse to attack before 
time is given to receive harm from the human being, who can¬ 
not himself notice this odor which is so evident to the more 
acute senses of the lower animals. 
Snakes are especially sensitive to the emanations of adren¬ 
alin from a human being under the influence of fear, yet it is 
said that a person unconscious of their presence will seldom 
be attacked unless the snake is in danger of being disturbed or 
stepped upon. This is easily understood in the light of the 
above. Being unconscious of the presence of the reptile there 
is no fright, hence no excessive flow of adrenalin which gives 
rise to the odor so objectionable to reptiles. 
Many readers will doubtless be impressed that we have fol- 
