Then it was claimed that alcohol increased the working power of the body; that more work and better work would be done by men at hard labor, if a little beer, or wine, was taken with their meals.

Indeed, most of those who take alcohol believe that they work faster and better, and with less effort with it than without it.

But the moment that this _feeling_ of increased power and strength was submitted to careful tests in the laboratory and in the workshop, it was found that instead of _more_ being accomplished when alcohol was taken, even in very moderate amounts, _less_ was accomplished by from six to twelve per cent.

The false sense of increased vigor and power was due to the narcotic power of alcohol to deaden the sensations of fatigue and discomfort.
It was discovered long ago, almost as soon as men began to put themselves into training for athletic feats or contests, that alcohol was not only useless, but very injurious.

Any champion who, on the eve of a contest, "breaks training" by "taking a drink," knows that he is endangering his record and giving his competitors an advantage over him.
Its Deadening Effect.