Arizona citizen., 1878-12-21
Stimulating the Fifth P1ir.

There are two nerves known as ihc'
 if'h pair. which are distributed To theI skin of the head, and 10 the mucous
 membrane of the eyes, nose. and mouth. These nerves are closely cnnnectedt with the heart and vessels. and byl stimulating their branches the circu-
 laiIon may be greatly influenced. ss in the Case uf fsinting. IL is 6 curious. fact that penple of all nations are sc- cuslomed. when in any difficulty, tol stimulate one or another branch of thei fifth nerve, and quicken their mental
 processes. Thus, sOme persons. when puzzled, scratch their heads; others rub their fuFeheads, and others stroke. or pull their boards. thus stimulating the Occipilal, frontal. or mental branch
 es of those nerves Many Grrn ans, when thinking. have hsbit of striking their. fingers against their noses, and thusl stimulating tue nasal cutaneous' branches, while in his country some people stimulate the branches disIri-
 buIed 10 the mucous membrane of tine
 nose by taking snuff The late LOrd Derby, when Irauslating Homer, was accustomed to eat branded cherries.
 One man will eat ngS while cOmp"s- ing a leading article, another will suck. chocolate Cremes; some will smoke cigarettes. and others sip brandy and wafer By these means they stimulate the lingual and buccal branches Of the fifth nerve, and thus retiexly excite
 their brains Alcohol appears |" ex- cite the circulation through the LraID refexly from the mouth, and L1 stimu late the heart .reiexly from the stOIn- ach, even before II Is absorbed into
 the blood. Shortly after 1t has been
 swallowed, however, il is absorbed | from the slomach, and passes wIIh the ! blood 10 the heart, 10 the brain. and 10
 the other parts of the DeryOus sy stem, upon which 1t then begins @ act d. ! Irectly Under Us influence the heart | beats more quickly, the blood cirCu | lsies more freely, and thus the func- { tinnal power of lhe various organs ln I the body is increased, so that the brain
 may think m"re rapidly, the muscles l act more powerfully, and The stomach I digest more easily. But, with this eX-
 ceUtiOn, the effect of alcohol upon the | nervous system may be described as t one of progressive paralysis The
 higher centres suffer first, and ihe judgment is probably the hrst quality 10 be impaired One Of the mOSi esteemed nOyeliSis of the present day | informs me that, although he can take i! a great deal of wine without I.s hay.
 in any apparent effect on him, yei |. single glass of sherry is enough to
 take the fEc edge of his intellect He IS able IO write easily and tiueBtly 10
 the evening. after taking dinner aud ldFinking wIne; but what he then writes
 will npt bear his own criticism next
 morning, although, curiou-ly enpugh, | it may seem tO him excellent al inc l time of writing. 4, the effect of al- t. cnhOl progresses, Judgment becomes
 still fur her impai ed, although inc T other faculties of the mind may remain.
 not only undimini-hed by ihe direct
 action of tue alcohol upon the brain,
 but greatly increased by the geneial q E4ClLCAlrnL OA AlE N4lNL41f AbAA- AAtN
 imagination may thus be more vivid
 than usual, and tBe emotions more live
 ly. and th. being mnre ur less fiber
 atei from ihe cuniTOl of the judgmei [. manifest them>elves in sparkling wIt
 whitening inveciive. Sheridan IS said
 to have delivered his grratest speech under the influence Oi two bottles of champagne, which he had swallowed
 al 6 single draught; and peltion- oi | over cautious temperament, and t"".
 reserved manners, the removal of the excessive restraint under which they habiiually act renders them, for the time. more sucIable and agrsGble. By
 and by, however. the other prftS "i ? the nervous system are succes>lvrly ! weskned; the tOngue srammcfs. ibe
 vision became dIuble. the legs fails,
 and the man falls insrnSIble. IL Is
 evident, then, that only the first stages
 of alcoholic action are al all henrflcIai, , The latter stages being as clearly in- iurinus.-Dr. Lander BTutn1 ID Con
 Temporary Review.