The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1903-05-07
WHAT SCIENCE SAYS.
The Harmful Effects of Small q uan ti-
ties of Alcohol on Mental
Operations.

One of the most important of the
recent findings of science is the eff
feet of alcohol on the brain and men
tai operations.
DR.. Franz Schonenberger. of Bre-
men, Germany, said in recent num-
Der of an educational paper:
Science has established that alco-
hol destroys first and most those
parts which are most delicate and
most recently developed. These are
those wonderfully delicate brain cells
upon whose proper formation the diff
ference between men and beasts chief
ly depends. These delicate structures
are undeveloped in the very yoSng
child. or are only just beginning to
unfold. The child is at first, there
fore, deficient in speech, reasoning
power. intellectiOn, judgment, and all
the higher moral sensibilitieS which
govern our thinking. feeling and will
ing. How the drunkard, by paralyz-
ing these brain structures. can sink
to the level of the animal. and low
er. is well known Whoever, then,
gives wine and beer to a child in
jures those delicate structures in
their formation, and thoughtlessness,
flghtiness, passion. coarse sensual
ity and all base characteristics at
tain domination"
Prof. Victor Horsley, an eminent
brain specialist and surgeon, profess
sor of Chirurgy in the University of
London, in recent lecture refer
ring to experiments by DR.. Emil
kraepelin, professor of psychiatry in
the University of Heidelberg said:
THE time occupied by the nervous
system in observing and recording
the simplest thing is called the re-
action time, and is so appreciate
that in all minute and accurate rec
ords astronomers have to measure
their reaction period, and to account
for it. This plan in all forms and
varieties has been very largely en-
ployed by Prof. Kraepelin. whose in
designations have been so thorough
and complete that they explain the
somewhat contradictory results OBJ
Ia ed by other observers. and have
a. Lblished on a thoroughly scientific
basis the direct influence of alcohol
on the higher centers of the brain.
The effect is that very speedily after
taking the dose of alcohol the reac-
ton time is shortened; but this
shortening. that is to say, this APP
parent quickening of the cerebral act
lasts only few minutes. and then
marked slowing sets in. and for the
rest CT the time during which the
alcohol acts, varying from two to
four hours, according to the individ-
ual. the cerebral activity is dimin-
ished. The diminution is shown by
noteworthy lengthening OF the reac-
ton period; in other words. it takes
longer for person who has had a
small quantity of alcohol to think.
"A further method employed by
Kraeplein was to estimate he abil-
ity with which the addition of sim
pie numbers is carried out. and also
the learning by memory of 12 places
OF figures; and in all these tests the
slowing of intellectual vigor is shown.
In regard to the occasional acceleSa-
ton observed at the commencement
in some experiments, Kraepelin made
the remarkable observation that dur
ing this period of acceleration. that
is, during the first few minutes after
taking dose of alcohol he had the
impression that it was much easier
to learn figures but when he came
to examine the records he found that
so far from having achieved his in
tellectual TASK more easily. it had. as
a matter of fact. been acco mplishe ed
more slowly. This observa ion was
con H:med also by other Investigators
in the same laboratory, on WI ON a
similar experiment was performed.
This was striking ms ance of the