The Eaton Democrat. (Eaton, Ohio) 1875-1903, 1878-12-19
Nerves Of the Head.
tDr. Brunton, in the Contemporary Review.l


There are two nerves, known as the fifth |
pair, which are distributed to the skin of |
the head and to the mucous membrane
of the eyes, nose, and mouth. These
nerves are closely connected with the |
heart and vessels, and by stimulating
their branches the circulation may be
greatly Influenced, as in the case of |
fainting. II is a curious fact that peo-
pie OF all nations are accustomed, when
in any difficulty, to stimulate one or an
other branch of the fifth nerve, and
quicken their mental processes. Thus,
me persons, when puzzled, scratch
their heads; others rub their foreheads,
and others stroke or pull their boards,
thus stimulating the occipital, frontal
or mental branches of those nerves
Many Germans, when thinking, have a
habit of striking their fingers against
their noses, and thus stimulating the
nasal cutaneous branches; while in this
country some people stimulate the
branches distributed to the mucous
membrane of the nose by taking snuff.
The late Lord Derby, when translating
Homer was accustomed to eat bran
died cherries. One man will eat figs
while composing leading article; an
other will suck chocolate cremes; others
will smoke cigarettes, and others sip
brandy and water. By these means
they stimulate the lingual and buccal
branches of the fifth nerve, and thus re-
fiexly excite their brains. Alcohol ap-
pears to excite the circulation through
the brain refexly from the mouth, and
to stimulate the heart refexly from the
stomach, even before it is absorbed into
the blood. Shortly after it has been swal-
lowed, however, it is absorbed from the
stomach, and passes with the blood to
the heart, to the brain and to the other
parts of the mel vous system, upon which
it then begins to act directly. Under
its influence the heart beats more
quickly, the blood circulates more
freely, and thus the functional power of
the various organs in the body is in.
creased so that the brain may think
more rapidly, the muscles act more pow
erfufly and the stomach digest more
easily. But with this exception the ef-
feet of ale biol upon the nervous system
may be described as one of progressive
paralysis. The higher centers suffer
first, and the judgment is probably the
first quality to be impaired. One of
the most esteemed novelists of the pres
ent day informs me that, although he
can tafe great deal of wine without
its having any apparent effect on him,
yet single glass of sherry is enough to
take the fine edge off his intellect. He
is able to write easily and fuently in
the evening, after taking dinner and
drinking wine; but what he then writes
will not bear his own criticism next
morning, although, curiously enough, it
may seem to him excellent at the time of
writing. As the effect of alcohol pro-
crosses, judgment becomes still further
impaired, although the other faculties
of the mind may remain, not only undi-
minished by the direct action of the al
cohol upon the brain, but greatly in
creased by general excitement of the cir
eulation. The imagination may thus be
more vivid than usual, and the emotions
more lively, and both, being more or
less liberated from the control of the
| judgment, manifest themselves in spark
ling wit or withering invective. Sheri-
dan is said to have delivered his greatest
speech under the influence of two bot
ties of champagne, which he had swal-
lowed at single draught; and in persons
OF overcautious temperament, and too
reserved manners, the removal of the ex-
cessive restraint under which they
habitually act, renders them, for the
time, more sociable and agreeable. By
and by, however, the other parts of the
nervous system are successfully weak
ened, the tongue stammers, the vision
becomes double, the legs fail and the
man falls insensible. 1t is evident,
then, that only the first stages of alco-
holic action are at all beneficial, the
later stages being as clearly injurious.