The times., 1899-11-11

which contained the same quantity
Of potential energy as the ingredients which
IL was 10 replace. As matter of fact, the
amount actually used was two and one
half ounces Of absolute alcohol per day
about as much as would be contained in
three average glasses OF whisky or in a
bottle CT claret, or Rhine wine. This alco-
hol was given in six nearly equal parts
three with meals and three between meals.
the object being TO avoid any especial in
fiuence Of the alcohol upon the naTves,
and thus TO test its action as food under
normal bodily conditions. In the expert
ments in which the man did no muscular
work this amount Of alcohol furnished
about One-fifth Of the total energy of the
food; but in those with hard muscular work
more food was given. so that the alcohol
supplied only about oue-seventh of the en-
ergy.
AS regards the special action of alcohol
three important results were observed in
these experiments: First, extremely little
of the alcohol was given of from the body
unconsumed, in the breath or otherwise.
The alcohol was oXidized, that IS, burned.
as completely as bread, meat, and other or
binary foods. In the body and in the same
way. Second, in the oxidation all Of the
potential energy of the alcohol burned was
transformed into heat or muscular energy.
In other words, the body transformed the
energy Of the alcohol Just as it did that
Of sugar, starch. and fat Third, the alco-
hol protected the material Of the body
from consumption just as effectively as the
corresponding amounts Of sugar, starch, and
fat. That is. whether the body was at
rest or at work, it held its own just as well
when alcohol formed a part Of the diet
as ii did with a diet without alcohol
ha si--
final result OF thirteen later ones is ready
for publication OF these eight were with
q diet including alcohol IN some of them
pure alcohol was given, In others it was
in the form Of whisky or brandy. The
alcohol experiments were with the same
subject a Swede by birth who had lived
some time in this country and had been
accustomed from his youth TO the use Of
small quantities Of alcohol For a time
previous to the period Of the experiments
he abstained from all use of alcohol, and
during that period he used only what was
needed for the experiment The subject OF
other experiments was a native American
who had always been a total abstainer.
The results Of ali these later experiments
are practically the same. No difference
has been found with different forms of
alcohol or with different subjects
II is said in unauthorized statements re
garding these experiments, which have
been widely disseminated, much more has
been claimed for them than they legiti-
mately cover The fact is that these are
purely scientific experiments Of lin
tied scope, in which small quantities
Of alcohol were consumed for brief periods
Of time They do not show the effect OF
habitual or excessive use Of alcohol as q
beverage Their purpose and nature are
such that they give no evidence regarding
its pathological or toxic action They
simply show that the limited quantity Of
alcohol that was given with other food
material In the diet Of healthy men for
periods OF q few days was almost com
pletely burned in the body and yielded a
certain amount Of energy. and that this
/ energy was actually utilized by the body
as is the energy which the body obtains
from sugar. starch. fat and other ingredi-
/ ents Of food. The scientists say the clear
Z evidence of this fact presented by these
. experiments is an important contribution
to our knowledge concerning the nutritive
. action Of alcohol
/ These experiments mark only a single
step toward the settlement Of the broad
/ questions involved in the use Of alcoholic
4 beverages. The department believes that
I the facts presented by them are reliable
But it should be remembered that the
/ physiological action OF alcohol involves
much besides its nuTitlye effect It's in
/ iuence upon the circulatory and nervous
I functions is especially important These
( matters are not treated In Prof Atwater's
/ experiments.
The bulletin is very technical and is not
( for general distribution