| Alcohol, ordinarily ethil alcohol refers to a clear | | | | and provides about 150 calories per ounce. Cocktails |
| colorless fluid which is fit for human consumption | | | | vary according to the amount and the nature of the |
| when diluted. Alcohol is inflammable and has a | | | | materials that are put in them. There are no other |
| characteristic taste and odor. It is obtain by distilling | | | | food values of alcohol beyond the energy value in |
| fermented solutions of sugar, grain, or starchy | | | | calories. |
| substance, or it may be prepared artificially. Whiskey, | | | | The average man who attends a banquet has |
| gin, rum, beer, ale, stout, wine, and brandy are some | | | | already had his breakfast and luncheon, which usually |
| of the alcoholic beverages in common use. | | | | give him enough calories for the energy output of |
| Alcohol can act as a drug, a beverage, or a poison. | | | | the day. At a banquet he gets about 2500 calories in |
| Applied to the skin, it has a cooling and refreshing | | | | the form of food and another 700 in the form of |
| effect. In solution of 70 per cent or over, other | | | | drinks. To use up this extra 3200 calories a person |
| types of alcohol are used as antiseptics in medicine. | | | | would have to play a fast game of handball or |
| Small doses of alcohol are stimulating and produce a | | | | squash racquets for five and a half hours, or walk |
| temporary sense of warmth and well-being. Alcohol | | | | sixty miles. |
| dilates the blood vessels of the skin and brings an | | | | It must always be remembered that the action of |
| increased flow of warm blood to the skin surfaces. | | | | alcohol is essentially depressing, that is chief effects |
| However, the blood in the body is cooled off by this | | | | are to dull the perception of unpleasant feelings and |
| action and body temperature drops. Alcohol also | | | | surroundings, to diminish self-criticism, and to diminish |
| depresses the central nervous system, and acts as | | | | the fear of taking any action which might excite |
| an anesthetic upon the cerebral cortex, which | | | | remark or be regarded by other people as not |
| controls behavior. When a person brightens up after | | | | appropriate or polite or civilized. |
| a drink or speaks and acts more freely than usual, he | | | | Thus under influence of alcohol people become more |
| does so because the retraining influences which he | | | | communicative, talk more freely, and have their |
| usually exercise have been diminished. Moderate | | | | emotions easily aroused. Alcohol is therefore |
| drinking, even as a daily habit, is practiced by many | | | | incompatible with the highest mental efforts or for |
| people without harmful effects. However, excessive | | | | the performance of any feat requiring skill, fine |
| amounts of alcohol may act as a poison and seriously | | | | control, alertness, or prolonged muscular action. |
| damage the body. | | | | The adult who is presumed to be responsible for |
| The alcoholic drinks include malt liquors, wines, distilled | | | | himself will soon realize if he is a normal individual the |
| liquors and liqueurs. Malt liquor usually have less alcohol | | | | harm that it does him when he drinks to excess and |
| than do wines are taken as part of a meal and help | | | | he will confine his use of alcohol to those convivial, |
| to provide the total number of calories that may be | | | | social occasions which long usage has come to |
| required by the individual for the day. In the United | | | | recognize as warranted. |
| States malt liquors are frequently taken between | | | | In 1949 drug called antabuse was found capable of |
| meals. They add a considerable number of calories to | | | | killing the appetite for enjoyment of alcoholic drinks. |
| the diet and thus tend to be fattening. Light beer | | | | Since the drug must be repeatedly used, psychiatric |
| contain less carbohydrate and more alcohol than dark | | | | treatment must accompany its use to get a more |
| beer. Bock beer is made with more malt and hops | | | | permanent result. |
| per barrel and therefore contains more alcohol and | | | | Alcohol is quickly burnt up in the body. The body |
| carbohydrates than ordinary beer. Ale, porter, and | | | | does not have a way of storing alcohol, and |
| stout differ from ordinary beer by using a different | | | | excessive amounts irritate the stomach and cause |
| type of yeast in the brewing. In general a cup of half | | | | chronic gastritis. Constant excessive drinking may also |
| pint of beer provides 150 calories or 300 calories per | | | | damage the liver, the kidneys, and other body |
| pint. Wines vary, providing, in the case of muscatel, | | | | organs. The central nervous system becomes |
| port, or sherry, about 150 calories to the glass. | | | | depressed, and with continued indulgence the entire |
| Champagne provides around 100 calories to a glass. | | | | system is devitalized. Coordination of muscles and |
| Sherry, port, madeira, and other wines of the Spanish | | | | nerves is diminished, speech becomes thicker, gait |
| type are artificially fortified with alcohol. Natural | | | | and sense of balance are impaired, judgment suffers, |
| fermentation, as in the case of champagne or | | | | mental changes are apparent. Constant excessive |
| burgundy, results in an alcoholic content of about 12 | | | | use of alcohol often leads to stupor, delirium tremens, |
| per cent. | | | | or other manifestations of serious damage. |
| Whiskey is proportionately much stronger in alcohol | | | | |
