Definite quantities of the different al cohols administered to rabbits by mean, of (esophageal tube. Three depress of in toxication were distinguished according to their severity: (1) slight paralysis of motion and sensibility; (2) total paraly sis of motion with almost complete aboli tion of sensation; (3) coma, often ending in death. The toxicity rose with the boiling-point of the alcohol, methyl being least toxic and ethyl coming next, while propyl was twice, butyl three times, and amyl four times as toxic as ethyl. Ad dition to ethyl-alcohol of 4 per cent. of an alcohol of higher boiling-point in creased the toxicity of the former to a marked extent. The addition of 2 per cent. was much less powerful, while 1 per cent. had practically no effect in increasing the toxicity. Conclusion is that the symptoms of acute alcoholism are not clue to impurities in the ethyl alcohol; but it is left an open question whether these may not have some share in producing the more chronic results of alcoholic excess. Baer (Arch. f. Anat. u. Physiol., Oct., '9S).
Conclusions regarding effects of alcohol on blood are as follow: 1. In acute alco holic intoxication the carbonic acid as well as the alkalinity is greatly reduced, due to the fact that there is an increase of volatile fatty acids, which, for the moment, displace the carbonic acid. The decrease of the red corpuscles cannot be of importance, as it is not constant. 2. The effects of chronic alcoholism make themselves fully manifest only after several months. The alkalinity remains about normal; the oxygen decreases, and later also the carbonic acid. Thomas (Arch. f. exper. Path. u. Pharm., B. 41. H. 1, Mar., '93).
Fatal acute alcohol poisoning in a child six years and three months old. who between 3.30 and 9.30 A.M., on an empty stomach, drank about 3 ounces of whisky. Death occurred by cardiac failure about twenty hours after the drinking of the whisky. M. A. Walker (N. Y. Med. Jour., Aug. 19, '99).
Case of blindness from drinking meth ylic alcohol, the tenth case recorded, the patient, a German, aged 45, who drank about IA. pint of a mixture of one-third wood-alcohol and two-thirds water. The following day he had some of the same potation: and, on the day after, violent vomiting set in, with extremely severe headache and foggy vision. A fortnight later he had no light-perception, and the pupils were large and irresponsive to light, the outer halves of the disks were decidedly atrophic, and their margins very slightly blurred. Some improve ment in vision proved to be but tempo rary: he i= now quite blind. "Wood
alcohol," or methylic alcohol, is a very poisonous substance, and has been the cause of a number of deaths. Gifford (Ophth. Record, Sept. and Dec., '99).
Retardation of the pulse is brought about by an irritation of the vagus centres, and of the peripheral ends of the vagi, in part due to a direct cardiac action. The fall in blood-pressure is due to a direct injurious influence upon heart-muscle. 1.a disl as Haskovec (Wiener med. Matter, Oct. 11, 1900).
Treatment of Alcoholic Poisoning. The treatment of acute alcoholic poison ing (drunkenness) is best begun by wash ing out the stomach either by emetics or by the stomach-pump or by ingestion of large quantities of warm water. Com plete rest, induced, if necessary, by large doses of one of the bromides, and relief of nausea and depression by large doses of ammonia (spirit of Mindererus, or aromatic spirit), are of prime importance. The cold pack is also of great use. The use of coffee in large doses (in both acute and chronic cases) refreshes and stimulates the nervous system, and with rest and warmth assures a rapid recovery.
If convulsions and coma are present rectal injections of chloral may be used, followed by the cold pack. Atropine, digitalis, and morphine may also be of service, though the prognosis is usually fatal. (See ALCOHOLISM) Therapeutics. — There is considerable divergence of opinion as regards the use of alcohol in disease. The older view is that it is a valuable agent when judi ciously employed, and that stimulants are especially indicated in cases of fa tigue, in convalescence from acute dis eases, in persons who live a sedentary life, or who suffer from poor digestion, and in others who are prostrated from acute illness. In all these cases a glass of wine or a little brandy diluted with water, taken shortly before or with the food, is thought to stimulate the digest ive organs and enable the patient to take more food. Pure alcohol is sometimes given alone or in combination with some bitter tincture, as tincture of calumba or quassia, or compound tincture of gentian or cinchona.
Observations in man on the influence of alcohol on muscular work, by means of Mosso's ergograph: an arrangement something like an extension apparatus, with a weight and pulley on which mus cular traction can be made, the amount of work done being registered in kilo grammeters graphically. Summary of the results:— 1. Moderate quantities of alcohol have an appreciable influence on the working capacity of muscles; but this differs in the fatigued and fresh muscle.