when the system has been over-heated by
exertion, by dancing or otherwise, has been
known to be immediately fatal. The physiological
action—or rather the 'shock' upon
the nervous system, is in both cases the same
—violent mental emotion, will in like manner,
suspend the action of the heart and produce
instant death. These are the terrors of
alcohol, when drank to excess; but the health
of the habitual tippler is sure to be undermined;
his hands become tremulous, he is
unsteady in his gait, his complexion becomes
sallow; and all his mental faculties gradually
impaired."

"To what, may I ask," inquired the
merry-faced guest; "do you attribute the
circumstance of the trembling hand
recovering its steadiness, after taking a glass of
spirits in the morning after a debauch;
'hair of the dog,' as it is called, 'that bit
overnight?'"

"Action and reaction is the great Law of
the Animal Economy," replied the Doctor;
"over stimulation will always produce a
corresponding degree of depression; when, therefore,
the nervous system has been over excited
by alcoholic liquors, the usual amount of
nervous energy which is necessary to give
tone to the muscular system is wanting, and
then a stimulus gives a fillip to the nervous
centres, which restores the nervous powers to
the extremities.  When this state of things,
however, has been permitted to go on, and
the brain has been frequently brought under
alcoholic influence, its structure becomes
affected, and a slow and very insidious
inflammation takes place, which terminates in a
softening of its substance.  This mischief may
proceed for a considerable period without
being suspected, but on a sudden 'delirium
tremens' may supervene, which will terminate,
perhaps, in paralysis—perhaps death!"

"To what, Doctor," inquired the Clergyman,
"do you attribute the mental pleasures
of intoxication? Can this be explained upon
physiological principles?"

"Easily, I think," answered the Doctor.
"All inebriating agents have a two-fold action
—as I have already pointed—out first, on the
circulation; and secondly, on the nervous
system. There can be no doubt that the
mind becomes endowed with encreased energy
when the circulation through the brain is
moderately quickened. This has been proved
by observation. The case has been reported
of a person who having lost by disease a part
of the skull and its investments, a
corresponding portion of  brain was open to
inspection.  In a stare of dreamless sleep, the brainlay motionless within the skull; but when
dreams occurred, as reported by the patient,
then the quantity of blood was observed to
flow with increased rapidity, causing the
brain to move and protrude out of the skull.
When perfectly awake and engaged in active
thought, then the blood again was sent with
increased force to the brain, and the protrusion
was still greater. Under all circumstances,
increased circulation through the
brain gives rise to mental excitement, and
sometimes to an unusual lucidity of ideas.
It is observed in the early stages of fever and
even in the dying—and this accounts for the
clearing up of the mind which sometimes
occurs in the last moments of life—what
is called familiarly 'the lightening before
death."

"That," observed the Clergyman, "is a
very curious circumstance, which I firmly
believe; and you account for this, if I
understand your meaning, by explaining that the
blood which no longer circulates in the
extremities which may have become cold, flows
with increased impetus through the brain."

"Exactly so," replied the Doctor, "and
upon this very principle the rapidity of ideas,
and the pleasurable mental excitement
attending that temporary state of intellectual
exaltation, depends on the increased rapidity
of the flow of blood through the brain; but
when this becomes carried to too great an
extent, and the rapidity of the current
disturbs the healthy condition of the brain, then
the manifestations of the mind necessarily
become impaired, the ideas are no longer
under the control of the reasoning faculty,
and the bodily organs, usually under the
dominion of the will, no longer obey its
mandates. This I believe to be the true theory
of mental intoxication."

"But there are many circumstances,"
observed the Host, "which may accelerate or
retard this excitement."

"Certainly," continued the Doctor;
"persons who join the social board already elated
with some good news, or cause of unusual
happiness; persons who talk much, and excite
themselves in argument, are apt to become
affected more speedily than those who hold
themselves in the midst of the convivial scene
sedate and taciturn. The mind, in fact, may
exercise a considerable power of resistance
against inebriation; for which reason, persons
in the society of their superiors, under
circumstances which render it necessary they
should maintain the appearance of being
always well conducted, drink with impunity
more than they otherwise could, if they did
not impose upon themselves this consciousness
of self-government. We also observe the
influence of the mind, in controlling, and,
indeed, putting an end to a fit of intoxication,
by making, doubtless, an impression
on the heart and causation, when a sense of
danger, or a piece of good or bad news,
suddenly communicated, sobers a person on
a sudden."

"I have heard," observed the merry-faced
guest, "that moving about — changing from
one seat into another—will check the effects
of liquor; and I have known persons who
have left a social party perfectly sober, become
suddenly tipsy in the open air. How is this
to be explained?"