BRAIN EFFICIENCY 
477 
trains have to pass an examination to determine whether 
they can be trusted to do their work properly and well; 
i.e., whether their nervous systems will stand the test? 
Among the questions which their prospective employers 
are sure to ask is, “ Do you use alcoholic drinks? ” 
In order to judge the success of a piece of work we must 
consider the quality and speed with which it is done. Krae- 
pelin made the following experiment, the results of which 
show that both these elements in mental work are influ¬ 
enced by the use of alcohol. 
Several men who were allowed to drink no alcohol uti¬ 
lized half an hour daily for six days in adding figures. Their 
ability to add increased 
each day. On the seventh 
day the work was begun 
under the influence of al¬ 
cohol. In spite of the skill 
gained in the previous 
practice, their accuracy 
did not increase, but on 
the contrary began to de¬ 
crease rapidly. On the 
nineteenth day the use of 
alcohol was stopped, and 
immediately an improvement in the work manifested itself; 
but on the twenty-sixth day, when the use of alcohol was 
resumed, a decided decrease in the power of adding mani¬ 
fested itself. 
It is difficult to estimate how efficient each of us may 
become in our life work, but one thing is certain, that if 
we use alcohol, we shall lose that perfect control over our 
nervous systems, which enabled the two players to be so 
efficient in the ball game. It is also equally certain that 
if we use alcohol, we shall find fewer men willing to em¬ 
ploy us in places of responsibility, not only because of our 
Figure 420. —• Brain Control. 
