The word alcohol is derived from the Arabic word "alkuhl" which means "essence." Alcohol has been used as a medicine, as a food, as a solvent for therapeutic agents. Alcohol has also been used in religious ceremonies and social life throughout history.
Alcohol came to America with the explorers and colonists. The Mayflower landed at Plymouth in 1620 partly because they were running especially low on beer and the necessary ingredients to ferment more. Spanish missionaries brought grapevines and made wine. The Dutch distilled fermented mixtures in 1640, and in the Massachusetts Bay Colony, brewing ranked next in importance after milling and baking.
There are several types of alcohol: ethyl (drinking alcohol), methyl alcohol or wood alcohol, and isopropyl (rubbing) alcohol. Small amounts (about 4 ml) can cause blindness and larger amounts are fatal. Methyl alcohol is added to ethyl alcohol (ethanol or grain alcohol) for industrial use. Ethylene glycol is used in antifreeze. Isopropyl alcohol is used in rubbing alcohol as an antiseptic, and is toxic. Pure ethyl alcohol or ethanol is the active ingredient in alcoholic drinks.
The process of making alcohol is called fermentation. Several basic ingredients such as sugar, water, yeast and warm temperatures are required for this process. Alcohol is produced by yeast, which breaks down sugar, by a metabolic form of combustion and releasing carbon dioxide and forming water and ethyl alcohol as a waste product.
Fermentation continues until the sugar supply is exhausted or the concentration of distillation involves boiling the fermented drink and gathering the condensed vapor in a pipe. Distillation can increase the concentration of alcohol to 50% or more. The amount of alcohol is expressed either as percentage, by volume or the proof system. The percentage of alcohol volume is one-half the proof number. A 100-proof whisky has a 50% alcohol content.
Alcohol acts on the central nervous system as a depressant. Users of moderate amounts of alcohol experience relief from anxiety and disinhibition. The effects of alcohol on individuals vary and are often unpredictable. One person can become euphoric, friendly and talkative, while others become aggressive and hostile.
Alcohol is rapidly absorbed into the bloodstream from the small intestine, and less rapidly from the stomach and colon. In proportion to its concentration in the bloodstream, alcohol decreases activity in parts of the brain and spinal cord. The drinker's blood alcohol concentration depends on:
-the amount consumed in a given time
-the drinker's size, sex, body build, and metabolism
-the type and amount of food in the stomach.
Once the alcohol has passed into the blood, however, no food or beverage can retard or interfere with its effects. Fruit sugar, however, in some cases can shorten the duration of alcohol's effect by speeding up its elimination from the blood.
Combining alcohol with other drugs can make the effects of these other drugs much stronger and more dangerous. Many accidental deaths have occurred after people have used alcohol combined with other drugs. Cannabis, tranquillizers, barbiturates and other sleeping pills, or antihistamines (in cold, cough, and allergy remedies) should not be taken with alcohol. Even a small amount of alcohol with any of these drugs can seriously impair a person's ability to drive a car, for example.
Long-term effects of alcohol appear after repeated use over a period of many months or years. The negative physical and psychological effects of chronic abuse are numerous; some are potentially life-threatening.
No comments:
Post a Comment