Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1879-03-06
II ELLSWORTH AMERICAN, THURsDAY MARCH. g. 1879



DIR. Leander Bruntou in Contemporary Review !
There are two nerves, known as the
9Th pair, which are distributed TO the
skin OF the head and 10 the mucous
membrane of the eve. nose and mouth.
These nerves are closely connected
with the heart and vessels, and by
stimulating their bsanehes the circu.
lation may he greatly Influenced. as in
the case Of fain;ing |; is curious
TACT that the people OF all nations are
accustomed, when In sny difficulty, TO
stimulate Que or another braach of the
iifth nerve. and qaicken theft wsntal
processes. Thus some persons. when
puzzled, scratch their heais: others
rub their forehead, and Others stroke
or pull their boards. thus stimulating
the occ'pital. frontal or mental branch
es OF those nerves. Macy Germans,
when thinking, have habit of strik.
ing their fingers against their noses,
and thus stimulating the nasal cutane-
Gus branches: while in this country
some people stimulate the branches
distributed TO the mucous membrane
Of the nose, by taking snutf. The late
Lord Derby, when translating Homer
Was accustomed TO cat branded cher.
rics. One man will eat figs while
composing leading article; another
will suck chocolate cremes; another
will smoke cigarettes. and another sip
brandy and water. By these means
they stimulate the lingual and buceal
branches of the fifth nerves, and thus
refexly excite their brains. Alcohol
appears TO excite the circulation
through the brain reHexly from the
mouth. and 10 stimulate the heart re.
fiexiy from the stomach, even before
it is absorbed into the blood. Shortly
after 1t has been swallowed, however.
il is absorbed from the stomach, and
passes with the blood TO the heart. 10
the brain and 10 other parts of the ner.
vous system, upon which IL then begins
TO act directly. Under its influence the
heart beats more quickly, the blood
circulates more freely. and thus the
power of the various organs
IN the body is increased, so that the
brain may think more rapidly, the
muscles &C, more powerfully, and the
stomach digest more easily. But,
with this exception, the effect Of aion-
hol upon the nervous system may be
described as one OF progressive paraly-
sis. The higher centres 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 take a great deal Of wine without
its having any apparent effec, on him,
yet single glass of sherry is enough
to take the fine edge Off his intellect.
He is able 10 write easily .nd aasa,ly
In the evening, after taking dinner
and drinking wine but what he then
writes will no. bear his own criticism
next morning, although curiously
enough. it may seem 10 him excellent
at the time Of writing. As the effect
OF alcohol progresses, judgement be-
comes still further Impaired, although
the other faculties Of the mind may
remain not only undiminished By the
direct action Of alcohol upon the brain
but greatly increased TO Abe 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 judg-
neni, manifest themselves in spark
ling wit or whitening inyective. Shsr-
idan is said 10 have delivered his
greatest speech under the influence Of
two bottles Of champagne, which he
bad swallowed At a single draugh, !;
and with persons OF over cautions
temperament and too reserved man ners
the removal Of the excessive restraint
under which they habitually act rem
ders them, for the time. more sociable
and agreeable. By and by, however.
the other parts Of the nervous system
are successfully weakened, the tongue
stamWers, the vision becomes Double,
the legs fail and the man falls insen 81
BILE. 1t is evident, that only the first
stages of alcoholic actions are at all
beneficial, the latter stages being as
clearly iniurinns