EFFECT OF ALCOHOL ON EFFICIENCY 141 
if he had temporarily lost the effect of his previous 
training. It should be stated that he was accustomed 
to the moderate use of alcohol. 
The effect of alcohol on skill in shooting was investi- 
gated by Staff Surgeon Mernetsch, who made observa- 
tions on a number of picked soldiers and non-com- 
missioned officers, all good shots. The men shot at a 
200 yards target, and then they were given 50 c.c. of 
brandy (about 12 ozs.). ‘ The trials were made on 
different days, under varying conditions, several times 
a day, and the result was always the same. When 
alcohol had been given the result was 30 per cent. 
fewer hits in quick-fire, although the men always 
thought they were shooting faster, whereas actually 
they shot much more slowly. When slow aiming was 
allowed, the difference even went to 50 per cent. in 
favour of shooting without having taken alcohol.”* 
The experience of shooting in the Navy confirms that 
obtained in the Army. An elaborate research, extend- 
ing over a long period, was carried out by a gunnery 
instructor, Captain Ogilvy, R.N., and it was found 
that the rum ration caused a falling off of at least 30 
per cent. in the accuracy of gun-fire. 
The effect of alcohol on industrial work was investi- 
gated by Aschaffenburg, who experimented with four 
compositors. The subjects were all accustomed to 
taking beer, and one of them occasionally drank to 
excess, but they abstained during the experimental 
period, which lasted four days. On the second and 
fourth days each man drank 7 ozs. of Greek wine. 
* V. Horsley and M. D. Sturge, * Alcohol and the Human Body." 
Fifth edition, 1915, p. 309. 
+ ¢ Psychologische Arbeiten ” of E. Kraepelin, vol. i., p. 608.