The St. Bernard Dog Problem: Effects of Consuming Ethanol on Body Temperature - Essay Example

Alcohol and Body Temperature Introduction For several years, Saint Bernard dogs have been painted carrying barrels of strong alcoholic drinks around their necks. Historical accounts explain that the drinks were principally used to make warm the rescued victims. Nevertheless, the Saint Bernard’s Hospice fraternity has often denied this allegation and insisted that the depiction only originated from an earlier portrait (Rudolph 7). In actual sense, the claim that alcoholic drinks can save rescued victims from hypothermia does not seem to hold any grounds (Iversen 51).

Instead, such drinks only put the lives of the victims at risk. As a result, it is extremely significant to establish the genuine relationship between the use of alcoholic drinks and the human body temperatures as discussed in this paper.Alcoholic Drinks and the Human Body Temperatures In accordance with most recent study findings, the use of alcoholic drinks does not really save people from hypothermia (Lide 88). The warming effect, which is often associated with the use of such drinks is only caused by the increase of heat flow towards the farthest points of the body.

This is only imperative in the short term. In the long term, however, the use of alcohol unknots a wide range of healthy impulses in the human body. For instance, it results into the reduction of the body’s core temperature, as well as the acceleration of the inception of hypothermia. It is significant to note that even a single alcoholic drink is sufficient to cause a remarkable reduction in the overall body temperature. Alcoholic drinks cause blood vessels, especially the capillaries found below the skin surface, to dilate (Lide 43).

This certainly increases the volume of blood brought to the surface of the skin thus making the body appear to be warmer. However, this process gradually stops the constriction of blood vessels thus eventually minimizing the flow of blood to the skin. The core body temperature is thus reduced in the long run. Despite the fact that alcohol may make the body feel slightly warmer in the short run due to the additional blood below the surface of the skin, the blood rapidly cools in a cold environment.

The net effect is always the hasty drop in the body’s core temperature (Iversen 90). The dilation effect can also be observed in individuals who look flushed after using alcoholic drinks. However, the effect varies from one individual to another. Some people get flushed quickly even after taking very small amounts of alcohol. Such people will always experience rapid reduction in their bodies’ core temperatures (Rudolph 16). In addition, there are other negative effects of the use of alcohol in cold weather apart from the dilation effect.

Based on the findings of a study recently carried out by the Army Enquiries Foundation of Environmental Medicine (AEFEM), the consumption of alcoholic substances in cold weather also reduces the ability of the body to shiver thus limiting its capacity to generate more heat.Conclusion Saint Bernard dogs are always painted carrying barrels of alcohol around their necks to be used by rescued victims with the intention of making them feel warmer in cold environments. This raises the question of whether alcoholic drinks are suitable for cold weather or not.

According to scientific studies, the consumption of alcohol only initiates a short term warming effect in the human body. In the long run, however, it is believed to unknot a wide range of healthy impulses in the body. These eventually bring about dilation effects and reduction in shivering capacities of the body.Works CitedIversen, Leslie. The Science of Marijuana. London: Oxford University Press, 2007. Print.Lide, David. CRC Handbook of Chemistry and Physics, 84th Edition. New York, NY: CRC Press, 2003. Print.Rudolph, Jessica.

Saint Bernard: Mountain Rescuer. New York, NY: Bearport Publishing, 2011. Print.