The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1878-12-29
THE FIFTH PAIR.
The Nerves Most Closely Connected with
the Mind and Heart.

Dr. Leander Brunton writes as follows In
the Contemporary RevieW: There are two
nerves, known az the fifth pair, which are dis
tributed 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 stimu latng
their branches the circulation may be greatly
influenced, as In the case OF fainting. 1t is
curious fact that people OF all nations are ac-
customed, when In any difficulty, to stimulate
one or another branch OF the fifth nerve, and
quicken their mental processes. Thus, some
persons, when puzzled, scratch their heads;
others rub their foreheads, and others stroke
or pull their boards, thus stimulating the oc-
cipltal, frontal or mental branches OF those
nerves. Many Germans, when thinking,
have habit OF striking their fingers against
their noses, and thus stimulating the nasal
cutaneous branches; while in this country
some people stimulate the branches distribu-
ted to the mucous membrane Of the nose by
taking snuff The late Lord Derby, when
translating Homer, was accustomed to eat
branded cherries. One man will eat figs
will suck chocolate cremes; others will smoke
cigarettes and others sip brandy and water.
By these means they stimulate the lingual
ana buccal branches OF the fifth nerves, and
pears to excite the circulation through the
brain refiexly from the mouth, and to stimu-
late the heart reflexly from the stomach, even
before it Is absorbed into the blood. Shortly
dIUoT IL mas Dcou SWHllOWeu, DOWeVeT, lb 10 dD-
sorbed from the stomach, and passes with the
blood to the heart, to the brain, and to the
other parts OF the nervous system, upon
which 1t then begins to act directly. Under
it's influence the heart beats more quickly,
the blood circulateS more freely, and thus the
functional power of the various organs In the
body Is increased 30 that the brain may think
more rapidly, the muscles act more power
fully, and the stomach digest more easily.
But, with this exception, the effect OF alco-
uvGtnn o.
scribed as one OF progressive ,paral ysis
The higher centres suffer first, and the judg
ment Is probably the first quality to be i'm
paired. One Of the most esteemed novelists
Of the present day informs me that although
he can take great deal OF wine without its
having any apparent effect ON him, yet q
single glass OF sherry Is enough to take the
fine edge off OF bis intellect. He is able to
taking dinner and drinking wine; but what
he then writes will not bear his own criticism
next morning, although curiously enough, 1t
may seem to him excellent at the time OF
writing. As the effect Of alcohol progresses,
judgment becomes still further impaired, al
though the other faculties OF the mind may
remain, not only undiminished by the direct
action Of the alcohol upon the brain, but
greatly increased By the general excitement
OF the circulation. 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 sparkling wit or
whitening invective. Sheridan is said to have
delivered his greatest speech under the infiu-
ence OF two bottles Of champagne which he
had swallowed at single draught; and per-
sons OF over-cautious temperament, and too
reserved manners the removal Of the Excess
sive 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 sue
cessively weakened, 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 alcoholic action are at
all beneficial, the later stages being as clearly
Injurious.