4. When a man has taken just enough alcohol to make his face blush a little, the extra amount of blood in the brain makes him think and talk more lively, and he is very jolly and gay.  This makes many people think that alcohol does them good.  But if we notice what a man says when he is excited by alcohol, we shall find that his remarks are often silly and reckless.  He says very unwise and foolish things, for which he feels sorry when he becomes sober.

5.  Alcohol Paralyzes.—­How does a drunken man walk?  Let us see why he staggers.  When a man takes a certain amount of alcohol his small brain and spinal cord become partly paralyzed, so that they cannot do their duty well; and so, when he tries to walk he reels and stumbles along, often falling down, and sometimes hurting himself very much.  The fact is that the alcohol has put his spinal cord and small brain to sleep so that he cannot make his legs do what he wants them to do.  Now, if still more alcohol is taken the whole brain becomes paralyzed, and then the man is so nearly dead that we say he is “dead drunk.”  It is exceedingly dangerous to become dead drunk, as the brain may be so completely paralyzed that it will not recover.

6. A small amount of alcohol does not make a man dead drunk, but it poisons and paralyzes his brain and nerves just according to the quantity he takes.

7. If a person holds a little alcohol in his mouth for a few moments, the tongue and cheeks feel numb.  This is because the alcohol paralyzes them so that they cannot feel or taste.  When taken into the stomach it has much the same kind of effect upon the nerves of the whole body.

8.  Alcohol a Deceiver.—­A hungry man takes a drink of whiskey and benumbs the nerves of his stomach so that he does not feel hungry.  Alcohol puts to sleep the sentinels which Nature has set in the body to warn us of danger.  A man who is cold takes alcohol and feels warm, though he is really colder.  He lies down in his false comfort and freezes to death.  A tired man takes his glass of grog and feels rested and strong, though he is really weaker than before.  A poor man gets drunk and feels so rich that he spends what little money he has.  The alcohol paralyzes his judgment and steals away his good sense.  Thus alcohol is always a deceiver.

9.  Delirium Tremens. (De-lir’-i-um Tre’-mens.)—­When a man takes strong liquors regularly he very soon injures his brain and nerves so that they do not get quiet, as they should, at night, and he does not sleep well.  He has frightful dreams.  He sees all sorts of wild animals and horrid shapes in his dreams.  Perhaps you have sometimes had such dreams from eating late suppers or indigestible food.

10. Did you ever have a dream when you were awake?  If a man drinks a great deal he is likely to have a terrible disease known as delirium tremens, in which he sees the same frightful things when he is wide awake that he dreams about when he is asleep.  This is one of the terrible effects of alcohol upon the brain and nerves.