The psychology of alcoholism / by George B. Cutten.

  • George Barton Cutten
Date:
1907
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: The psychology of alcoholism / by George B. Cutten. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    nervous tissue. It was formerly considered that the narcotic exerted its effect because the fatty substances were soluble in the narcotic, and that the narcotic dissolved these fatty substances, and thus the nervous tissue was for a time more or less devoid of fatty material. This theory had to be discarded in view of the fact that large amounts of fatty substances exist in the neuron,! and if these were dissolved such speedy recovery as is experienced with most narcotics would be impossible. The opposite theory accords best with the facts, and is now most commonly accepted—viz., that the narcotic is dissolved in the fatty substances, and the changes caused thereby in some way stop interaction between the neurons, and interfere with the conduction of impulses. This is Puen ofall narcotics, but each narcotic has Special symptoms, and an excessive use causes a distinct set of injuries, Why alcohol selects a certain set of cells we do not know, but, as has been contended by. Nissl, each poison gives rise to special lesions because it affects certain kinds of cells to the exclusion of others, There remains much yet to be accomplished in the chemistry of the nervous system, for here is hidden the secret of nervous processes, Not only is there a difference in opinion regarding the chemical action of alcohol, but the exact physio- logical action caused by the chemical changes is disputed by the devotees of different theories, divided for the most part into two classes. Up to the last century it was thought that alcohol was a powerful stimulant, quickening and strengthening all mental and physical action, very much as the popular mind ' Neuron.—On account of the frequent use of this term in this chapter, it is thought best to have it defined. Formerly it was thought that the nervous factors, cell, nerves, and dendrites, were separate parts, but now the neuron has become the nervous unit. It consists of the cell body, dendrites, and axis-cylinder process, which are considered to be only different parts of the one structure. The part known as the nerve is now looked upon as the axis-cylinder process of the cell, as much a part of the cell as the dendrites. The diagrammatic drawing on the following page gives a comprehensive idea of the neuron and its constituent parts, 2
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