Page:Popular Science Monthly Volume 1.djvu/233

Rh foolish sentimentality, extending to tears, grotesque and meaningless laughter absurd promises and asseverations, inane threats or childish predictions impel the tongue, until at last there is failure of the senses, distortion of the objective realities of life, obscurity, sleep, insensibility, and utter muscular prostration. This constitutes the third stage of alcoholic intoxication. It is the stage of insensibility under chloroform when the surgeon performs his painless task.

While these changes in the action of the nervous system are in progress there is a peculiar modification proceeding in respect to the temperature of the body. For a little time the external or surface temperature is increased, especially in those parts that are unduly charged and flushed with blood. But it is to be observed that in respect to the mass of the body the tendency is to a fall of temperature. In the progress toward complete intoxication under alcohol, however, there are, as we have already seen, three degrees or stages. The first is a stage of simple exhilaration, the second of excitement, the third of rambling insensibility, and the fourth of entire unconsciousness, with muscular prostration. The duration of these stages can be modified in the most remarkable manner by the mode of administration; but whether they are developed or recovered from in an hour or a day, they are always present except in cases where the quantity of alcohol administered is in such excess that life instantly is endangered or destroyed. In the first or exhilarative stage the temperature undergoes a slight increase; in birds a degree Fahrenheit, in mammals half a degree. In the second degree, during which there is vomiting in birds, or attempts at vomiting, the temperature comes back to its natural standard, but soon begins to fall; and during the third degree the decline continues. The third degree fully established, the temperature falls to its first minimum, and in birds comes down from five and a half to six degrees; in rabbits from two and a half to three degrees. In this condition the animal temperature often remains until there are signs of recovery, viz., conscious or semi-conscious movements, upon which there may be a second fall of temperature of two or even three degrees in birds. In this course of recovery I have seen, for instance, the temperature of a pigeon which had a natural standard of 110° Fahr. reduced to 102°. Usually with this depression of force there is a desire for sleep, and with perfect rest in a warm air there is a return of animal heat; but the return is very slow, the space of time required to bring back the natural heat being from three to four times longer than that which was required to reduce it to the minimum.

In these fluctuations of temperature the ordinary influences of the external air play an important part as regards duration of the fluctuation, and to some extent as regards extremes of fluctuation.

These facts respecting fall of temperature of the animal body under alcohol were derived from observations originally taken from the inferior animals; they have been confirmed since by other observers,