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An Introduction to Mechanical

Engineering (4th Ed.) 4th Edition


Jonathan Wickert
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Fourth Edition An Introduction to

WICKERT | LEWIS
Mechanical An Introduction to

Engineering Mechanical
Engineering

Mechanical Engineering
An Introduction to
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Fourth
JONATHAN WICKERT KEMPER LEWIS Edition

Fourth Edition

JONATHAN WICKERT KEMPER LEWIS


Derived Units in the SI
Quantity SI Derived Unit Abbreviation Definition

Length micrometer or micron μm 1 μm = 10–6 m


Volume liter L 1 L = 0.001 m3
Force newton N 1 N = 1 (kg ? m)/s2
Torque, or moment of a force newton-meter N?m    —
Pressure or stress pascal Pa 1 Pa = 1 N/m2
Energy, work, or heat joule J 1J=1N?m
Power watt W 1 W = 1 J/s
Temperature degree Celsius °C °C = K – 273.15

Derived Units in the USCS


Quantity Derived Unit Abbreviation Definition

Length mil mil 1 mil = 0.001 in.


inch in. 1 in. = 0.0833 ft
mile mi 1 mi = 5280 ft
Volume gallon gal 1 gal = 0.1337 ft3
Mass slug slug 1 slug = 1 (lb ? s2)/ft
pound-mass lbm 1 lbm = 3.1081 3 10−2 (lb ? s2)/ft
Force ounce oz 1 oz = 0.0625 lb
ton ton 1 ton = 2000 lb
Torque, or moment of a force foot-pound ft · lb —
Pressure or stress pound/inch 2
psi 1 psi = 1 lb/in2
Energy, work, or heat foot-pound ft · lb —
British thermal unit Btu 1 Btu = 778.2 ft ? lb
Power horsepower hp 1 hp = 550 (ft ? lb)/s
Temperature degree Fahrenheit °F °F = °R – 459.67
Fourth Edition

An Introduction to

Mechanical
Engineering

Jonathan Wickert
Iowa State University

Kemper Lewis
University at Buffalo—SUNY

• • • • •
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An Introduction to Mechanical Engineering, © 2017, 2013 Cengage Learning®
Fourth Edition
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. No part of this work covered by the copyright
Jonathan Wickert and Kemper Lewis
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Printed in the United States of America


Print Number: 01   Print Year: 2015
Dedication

To Karen and Rebecca for their patience and encouragement


throughout this project.

Jonathan Wickert

To the Lord for grace and to Laura, Kamryn, and Kaden for their
overwhelming patience, support, and love.

Kemper Lewis
Contents

Student’s Preface xi
Instructor’s Preface xiii
About the Authors xxi

CHAPTER 1 The Mechanical Engineering Profession 1


1.1 Overview 1
The Elements of Mechanical Engineering 2
1.2 What Is Engineering? 4
1.3 Who Are Mechanical Engineers? 10
Mechanical Engineering’s Top Ten Achievements 11
The Future of Mechanical Engineering 18
1.4 Career Paths 20
1.5 Typical Program of Study 22
Summary 26
Self-Study and Review 26
Problems 27
References 30

CHAPTER 2 Mechanical Design 31


2.1 Overview 31
2.2 The Design Process 35
Requirements Development 39
Conceptual Design 40
Detailed Design 41
Production 46
2.3 Manufacturing Processes 49
Summary 56
Self-Study and Review 57
Problems 57
References 62

 v
vi   Contents

CHAPTER 3 Technical Problem-Solving


and Communication Skills 63
3.1 Overview 63
3.2 General Technical Problem-Solving Approach 68
3.3 Unit Systems and Conversions 69
Base and Derived Units 70
International System of Units 70
United States Customary System of Units 73
Converting Between the SI and USCS 77
3.4 Significant Digits 82
3.5 Dimensional Consistency 83
3.6 Estimation in Engineering 94
3.7 Communication Skills in Engineering 98
Written Communication 99
Graphical Communication 101
Technical Presentations 102
Summary 107
Self-Study and Review 107
Problems 108
References 115

CHAPTER 4 Forces in Structures and Machines 116


4.1 Overview 116
4.2 Forces in Rectangular and Polar Forms 118
Rectangular Components 119
Polar Components 120
4.3 Resultant of Several Forces 121
Vector Algebra Method 122
Vector Polygon Method 123
4.4 Moment of a Force 127
Perpendicular Lever Arm Method 128
Moment Components Method 129
4.5 Equilibrium of Forces and Moments 135
Particles and Rigid Bodies 135
Free Body Diagrams 137
4.6 Design Application: Rolling-Element Bearings 145
Summary 153
Self-Study and Review 154
Contents   vii

Problems 155
References 170

CHAPTER 5 Materials and Stresses 171


5.1 Overview 171
5.2 Tension and Compression 173
5.3 Material Response 182
5.4 Shear 193
5.5 Engineering Materials 198
Metals and Their Alloys 199
Ceramics 200
Polymers 201
Composite Materials 202
5.6 Factor of Safety 207
Summary 211
Self-Study and Review 213
Problems 214
References 226

CHAPTER 6 Fluids Engineering 227


6.1 Overview 227
6.2 Properties of Fluids 230
6.3 Pressure and Buoyancy Force 237
6.4 Laminar and Turbulent Fluid Flows 244
6.5 Fluid Flow in Pipes 248
6.6 Drag Force 254
6.7 Lift Force 264
Summary 270
Self-Study and Review 272
Problems 272
References 281

CHAPTER 7 Thermal and Energy Systems 282


7.1 Overview 282
7.2 Mechanical Energy, Work, and Power 284
Gravitational Potential Energy 284
Elastic Potential Energy 285
viii   Contents

Kinetic Energy 285


Work of a Force 286
Power 286
7.3 Heat as Energy in Transit 291
Heating Value 292
Specific Heat 294
Transfer of Heat 295
7.4 Energy Conservation and Conversion 304
7.5 Heat Engines and Efficiency 308
7.6 Internal-Combustion Engines 313
Four-Stroke Engine Cycle 314
Two-Stroke Engine Cycle 317
7.7 Electrical Power Generation 319
Summary 329
Self-Study and Review 330
Problems 331
References 338

CHAPTER 8 Motion and Power Transmission 339


8.1 Overview 339
8.2 Rotational Motion 341
Angular Velocity 341
Rotational Work and Power 343
8.3 Design Application: Gears 348
Spur Gears 348
Rack and Pinion 352
Bevel Gears 353
Helical Gears 354
Worm Gearsets 355
8.4 Speed, Torque, and Power in Gearsets 357
Speed 357
Torque 359
Power 360
8.5 Simple and Compound Geartrains 360
Simple Geartrain 360
Compound Geartrain 362
8.6 Design Application: Belt and Chain Drives 368
8.7 Planetary Geartrains 374
Summary 382
Contents   ix

Self-Study and Review 383


Problems 384
References 395

Appendix A Greek Alphabet 396


Appendix B Trigonometry Review 397
B.1 Degrees and Radians 397
B.2 Right Triangles 397
B.3 Identities  398
B.4 Oblique Triangles  399
Index 400
Student’s Preface

Purpose

T
his textbook will introduce you to the ever-emerging field of mechanical
engineering and help you appreciate how engineers design the hardware
that builds and improves societies all around the world. As the title implies,
this textbook is neither an encyclopedia nor a comprehensive treatment of the
discipline. Such a task is impossible for a single textbook, and, regardless, our
perspective is that the traditional four-year engineering curriculum is just one of
many steps taken during a lifelong education. By reading this textbook, you will
discover the “forest” of mechanical engineering by examining a few of its “trees,”
and along the way you will be exposed to some interesting and practical elements
of the profession called mechanical engineering.

Approach and Content

T
his textbook is intended for students who are in the first or second years
of a typical college or university program in mechanical engineering
or a closely related field. Throughout the following chapters, we have
attempted to balance the treatments of technical problem-solving skills,
design, engineering analysis, and modern technology. The presentation
begins with a narrative description of mechanical engineers, what they do,
and the impact they can have (Chapter 1). Seven “elements” of mechanical
engineering are emphasized subsequently in Chapter 2 (Mechanical Design),
Chapter 3 (Professional Practice), Chapter 4 (Forces in Structures and
Machines), Chapter 5 (Materials and Stresses), Chapter 6 (Fluids Engineering),
Chapter 7 (Thermal and Energy Systems), and Chapter 8 (Motion and Power
Transmission). Some of the applications that you will encounter along the
way include commercial space travel, 3-D printing, Boeing’s 787 Dreamliner,
medical device design, nanomachines, internal combustion engines, robotics,
sports technology, advanced materials, micro-fluidic devices, automatic
transmissions, and renewable energy.
What should you be able to learn from this textbook? First and foremost,
you will discover who mechanical engineers are, what they do, what technical,
social, and environmental challenges they solve with the technologies they
create. Section 1.3 details a “top ten” list of the profession’s achievements. By
looking at this list, you will recognize how the profession has contributed to
your day-to-day life and society around the world in general. Second, you will
find that engineering is a practical endeavor with the objective of designing
things that work, that are cost-effective to manufacture, that are safe to use,
and that are responsible in terms of their environmental impact. Third, you will
learn some of the calculations, estimates, and approximations that mechanical
engineers can perform as they solve technical problems and communicate
 xi
xii   Student’s Preface

their results. To accomplish their jobs better and faster, mechanical engineers
combine mathematics, science, computer-aided engineering tools, experience,
and hands-on skills.
You will not be an expert in mechanical engineering after having read
this textbook, but that is not our intention, and it should not be yours. If our
objective has been met, however, you will set in place a solid foundation of
problem-solving, design, and analysis skills, and those just might form the basis
for your own future contributions to the mechanical engineering profession.
Instructor’s Preface

Approach

T
his textbook is intended for a course that provides an introduction to
mechanical engineering during either the freshman or sophomore years.
Over the past decade, many colleges and universities have taken a fresh
look at their engineering curricula with the objective of positioning engineering
content earlier in their programs. Particularly for the freshman year, the formats
vary widely and can include seminars on “who are mechanical engineers” and
“what do they do,” innovative design experiences, problem-solving skills, basic
engineering analysis, and case studies. Courses at the sophomore level often
emphasize design projects, exposure to computer-aided engineering, principles
of engineering science, and a healthy dose of mechanical engineering hardware.
Core engineering-science courses (for example, strength of materials,
thermodynamics, fluid mechanics, and dynamics) have evolved since the post–
World War II era into their present, relatively mature, states. On the other hand,
little if any standardization exists among introductory mechanical engineering
courses. With limited discipline-specific instructional materials available for
such courses, we believe that an important opportunity remains for attracting
students, exciting them with a view of what to expect later in their program
of study and in their future careers, and providing them with a foundation of
sound engineering analysis, technical problem-solving, and design skills.

Objectives

W
hile developing the fourth edition of this textbook, our objective has
been to provide a resource that others can draw upon when teaching
introductory mechanical engineering to first-year and second-
year students. We expect that most such courses would encompass the bulk
of material presented in Chapter 1 (The Mechanical Engineering Profession),
Chapter 2 (Mechanical Design), and Chapter 3 (Technical Problem Solving and
Communication Skills). Based on the level and contact hours of their particular
courses, instructors can select additional topics from Chapter 4 (Forces in
Structures and Machines), Chapter 5 (Materials and Stresses), Chapter 6
(Fluids Engineering), Chapter 7 (Thermal and Energy Systems), and Chapter 8
(Motion and Power Transmission). For instance, Section 5.5 on materials
selection is largely self-contained, and it provides an introductory-level student
with an overview of the different classes of engineering materials. Similarly,
the descriptions in Sections 7.6 and 7.7 of internal-combustion engines and
electrical power plants are expository in nature, and that material can be
incorporated in case studies to demonstrate the operation of some important
mechanical engineering hardware. Rolling-contact bearings, gears, and belt and
chain drives are similarly discussed in Sections 4.6, 8.3, and 8.6.
 xiii
xiv   Instructor’s Preface

This textbook reflects our experiences and philosophy for introducing


students to the vocabulary, skills, applications, and excitement of the mechanical
engineering profession. Our writing has been motivated in part by teaching
introductory mechanical engineering courses at our respective universities.
Collectively, these courses have included lectures, computer-aided design and
manufacturing projects, product dissection laboratories (an example of which
is discussed in Section 2.1), and team design projects (many of which have been
adapted into the new open-ended design problems at the end of each chapter).
A number of vignettes and case studies are also discussed to demonstrate for
students the realism of what they are learning, including the “top ten” list of
previous mechanical engineering achievements and a list of the top emerging
fields in mechanical engineering both developed by the American Society of
Mechanical Engineers (Section 1.3), the fourteen “grand challenges” from the
National Academy of Engineering (NAE) (Section 2.1); design innovation,
patents, and a summary of the recently updated patent protection system
in the United States (Section 2.2); the design of the Boeing 787 Dreamliner
(Section 2.3); the loss of the Mars Climate Orbiter spacecraft and the refueling
error on Air Canada Flight 143 (Section 3.1); the Deepwater Horizon oil spill
disaster (Section 3.6), the design of a heart implant (Section 4.5); the design
of products and materials for extreme environments (Section 5.2); the design
of advanced materials for innovation applications (Section 5.5); microfluidic
devices (Section 6.2); blood flow in the human body (Section 6.5); sports
technology (Sections 6.6 and 6.7); global energy consumption (Section 7.3);
renewable energies (Section 7.5); internal combustion engines (Section 7.6);
solar power generation and the development of innovative energy solutions
through crowdsourcing (Section 7.7); nanomachines (Section 8.3); and
advanced geartrains for next generation engines (Section 8.5).
The “Focus on . . .” boxes in each chapter are used to highlight some of these
interesting topics and other emerging concepts in mechanical engineering.

Content

W
e certainly have not intended this textbook to be an exhaustive
treatment of mechanical engineering, and we trust that it will not be
read in that light. Quite the contrary: In teaching first-year and second-
year students, we are ever conscious of the mantra that “less really is more.” To
the extent possible, we have resisted the urge to add just one more section on
a particular subject, and we have tried to keep the material manageable and
engaging from the reader’s perspective. Indeed, many topics that are important
for mechanical engineers to know are simply not included here; this is done
intentionally (or, admittedly, by our own oversight). We are confident, however,
that students will be exposed to those otherwise omitted subjects in due course
throughout the remainder of their engineering curricula.
In Chapters 2 through 8, we have selected a subset of mechanical engineering
“elements” that can be sufficiently covered for early students to develop useful
design, technical problem-solving, and analysis skills. The coverage has been
chosen to facilitate the textbook’s use within the constraints of courses having
Instructor’s Preface   xv

various formats. While there is more material here than can be comfortably
covered in a single semester, instructors should find a reasonable menu from
which to choose. In particular, we have selected content that we have found to
1. Match the background, maturity, and interests of students early in their
study of engineering
2. Expose students to the significance of mechanical design principles in the
development of innovative solutions to technical challenges that face our
global societies.
3. Help students think critically and learn good problem-solving skills,
particularly with respect to formulating sound assumptions, making
order-of-magnitude approximations, performing double-checks, and
bookkeeping proper units
4. Convey aspects of mechanical engineering science and empiricism that
can be applied at the freshman and sophomore levels
5. Expose students to a wide range of hardware, innovative designs,
engineering technology, and the hands-on nature of mechanical
engineering
6. Generate excitement through applications encompassing space flight, 3-D
printing, Boeing’s 787 Dreamliner, medical device design, nanomachines,
engines, robotics, sports technology, consumer products, advanced
materials, micro-fluidic devices, automotive transmissions, renewable
energy generation, and more
To the extent possible at the freshman and sophomore levels, the exposition,
examples, and homework problems have been drawn from realistic applications.
You will find no masses on inclined planes or block-and-tackle systems in this
textbook. Because we find engineering to be a visual and graphical activity,
we have placed particular emphasis on the quality and breadth of the nearly
three hundred photographs and illustrations, many of which were provided by
our colleagues in industry, federal agencies, and academe. Our view has been
to leverage that realism and motivate students through interesting examples
that offer a glimpse of what they will be able to study in later courses and,
subsequently, practice in their own careers.

New in the Fourth Edition

I
n preparing this fourth edition, we have made many of the types of changes
that one would expect: Sections have been rewritten and reorganized, new
material has been added, some material has been removed, new examples
problems have been created, and small mistakes have been corrected. Over
20 new homework problems have been developed and over 30 new figures have
been included. We are excited about the new homework problems as they are
all open-ended problems whose solutions depends upon the set of assumptions
made. While these problems do not have a single correct answer, there are
better answers and worse answers. Therefore, students are challenged to
consider their problem-solving approach, the validity of their assumptions, and
xvi   Instructor’s Preface

the appropriateness of their answers. These new problems are included as the
last homework problems in each chapter and have been developed to be used in
group settings, including flipped classroom environments. These larger open-
ended problems are denoted with an asterisk “*”.
We have attempted to remain faithful to the philosophy of the
first three editions by emphasizing the importance of the mechanical
engineering profession to solving global problems, including new information
in Chapter 1 on recent professional trends, technology development,
traditional and emerging mechanical engineering career paths, and knowledge
areas. Also, in Chapter 1, we update, in Figure 1.2, the energy range that
mechanical engineers are creating devices or machines to produce and/or
consume. We tighten the presentation of the top past accomplishments in
mechanical engineering and add a discussion about the top emerging fields
within mechanical engineering adapted from a recent report from ASME.
In Chapter 2, new material is included on global design patents, and the
new patent law in the United States. The previous case studies from Chapter 2
and one from Chapter 6 have now been moved to the companion student
website.
Throughout the book, we have continued the use of the improved pedagogical
format comprising the problem’s statement, approach, solution, and discussion.
In particular, the discussion portion is intended to highlight why the numerical
answer is interesting or why it makes intuitive sense. Symbolic equations are
written alongside the numerical calculations. Throughout the textbook, the
dimensions appearing in these calculations are explicitly manipulated and
canceled in order to reinforce good technical problem-solving skills.
The “Focus on . . .” boxes contain topical material, either conceptual or
applied, that broadens the textbook’s coverage without detracting from its flow.
New topics in the “Focus on . . .” boxes include the emerging career opportunities
for mechanical engineers; product archaeology “digs”; global design teams; the
types of engineering estimations used in predicting the oil flow rates during
the Deepwater Horizon disaster; ineffective communication practices using
illustrative technical charts; innovative design opportunities that arise from
engineering failure analysis; design of devices for extreme environments;
development of new engineering materials; the crowdsourcing of innovative
solutions to global energy challenges; and the design of advanced automotive
geartrains to address fuel economy standards.
As was the intent with the first three editions, we have attempted to
make the fourth edition’s content readily accessible to any student having a
conventional secondary school background in mathematics and physics. We
have not relied on any mathematics beyond algebra, geometry, and trigonometry
(which is reviewed in Appendix B), and in particular, we have not used any
cross-products, integrals, derivatives, or differential equations. Consistent
with that view, we have intentionally not included a chapter that addresses the
subjects of dynamics, dynamic systems, and mechanical vibration (ironically,
my own areas of specialization). We remain focused on the earliest engineering
students, many of whom will be studying calculus concurrently. Keeping those
students in mind, we feel that the added mathematical complexity would
detract from this textbook’s overall mission.
Instructor’s Preface   xvii

Supplements

S
upplements for instructors are available on the Instructor’s Resource
Center at sso.cengage.com.

● Case Studies: We have shifted some of the case studies in previous


editions to the student website without any loss of content in the text.
The case studies were longer design applications of the chapter concepts
and as such, they function well as effective reference information for the
students who want to explore the chapter concepts further.
● Instructor’s Solutions Manual: As was the case with the first three
editions, the fourth edition is also accompanied by a detailed Instructor’s
Solutions Manual. With the exception of some “open-ended” problems
at the end of each chapter, the manual contains a solution to each of
the numerical problems in this textbook. The description and style of
these solutions (stating the problem, writing a brief approach, making
appropriate assumptions, making sketches, carrying out calculations,
keeping track of units and significant figures, checking one’s work,
discussing the validity of the solution, and so forth) are intended to guide
students with respect to the formatting of their own work.
● Lecture Note PowerPoints: We have created PowerPoint presentations
for each chapter that capture the primary teaching points, along with a
number of the figures and tables from the chapters.

MindTap Online Course

T
he MindTap includes these additional features: Digital Digs, chapter study
guides, and videos.
This textbook is also available online through Cengage Learning’s
MindTap, a personalized learning program. Students who purchase the MindTap
have access to the book’s multimedia-rich electronic Reader and are able
to complete homework and assessment material online, on their desktops,
laptops, or iPads. The new MindTap Mobile App makes it easy for students to
study anywhere, anytime. Instructors who use a Learning Management System
(such as Blackboard or Moodle) for tracking course content, assignments, and
grading, can seamlessly access the MindTap suite of content and assessments for
this course.
With MindTap, instructors can:
●● Personalize the Learning Path to match the course syllabus by rearranging
content or appending original material to the online content
●● Connect a Learning Management System portal to the online course and
Reader
●● Highlight and annotate the digital textbook, then share their notes with
students.
xviii   Instructor’s Preface

●● Customize online assessments and assignments


●● Track student engagement, progress and comprehension
●● Promote student success through interactivity, multimedia, and exercises
Additionally, students can listen to the text through ReadSpeaker, take notes
in the digital Reader, study from and create their own Flashcards, highlight
content for easy reference, and check their understanding of the material
through practice quizzes and automatically-graded homework.

Acknowledgments

I
t would have been impossible to develop the four editions of this textbook
without the contributions of many people and organizations, and at the
outset, we would like to express our appreciation to them. Generous support
was provided by the Marsha and Philip Dowd Faculty Fellowship, which
encourages educational initiatives in engineering. Adriana Moscatelli, Jared
Schneider, Katie Minardo, and Stacy Mitchell, who are now alumni of Carnegie
Mellon University, helped to get this project off the ground by drafting many
of the illustrations. The expert assistance provided by Ms. Jean Stiles in
proofreading the textbook and preparing the Instructor’s Solutions Manual was
indispensable. We very much appreciate the many contributions she made.
Our colleagues, graduate students, and teaching assistants at Iowa State
University, Carnegie Mellon and the University at Buffalo—SUNY provided
many valuable comments and suggestions as we wrote the editions. We would
specifically like to thank Adnan Akay, Jack Beuth, Paul Steif, Allen Robinson,
Shelley Anna, Yoed Rabin, Burak Ozdoganlar, Parker Lin, Elizabeth Ervin,
Venkataraman Kartik, Matthew Brake, John Collinger, Annie Tangpong,
Matthew Iannacci, James Lombardo, Phil Odonkor, Erich Devendorf,
Phil Cormier, Aziz Naim, David Van Horn, Brian Literman, and Vishwa
Kalyanasundaram for their comments and help. We are likewise indebted
to the students in our courses: Fundamentals of Mechanical Engineering
(Carnegie Mellon), Introduction to Mechanical Engineering Practice (University
at Buffalo—SUNY), and Design Process and Methods (University at Buffalo—
SUNY). Their collective interest, feedback, and enthusiasm have always
provided much-needed forward momentum. Joe Elliot and John Wiss kindly
offered the engine dynamometer and cylinder pressure data to frame the
discussion of internal-combustion engines in Chapter 7. Solutions to many of
the homework problems were drafted by Brad Lisien and Albert Costa and we
appreciate their hard work and conscientious effort.
In addition, the following reviewers of the first, second, third, and fourth
editions were kind enough to let us benefit from their perspectives and teaching
experience: Terry Berreen, Monash University; John R. Biddle, California State
Polytechnic University at Pomona; Terry Brown, University of Technology
(Sydney); Peter Burban, Cedarville University; David F. Chichka, George
Washington University; Scott Danielson, Arizona State University; Amirhossein
Ghasemi, University of Kentucky; William Hallett, University of Ottawa; David
W. Herrin, University of Kentucky; Robert Hocken, University of North Carolina
Instructor’s Preface   xix

(at Charlotte); Damir Juric, Georgia Institute of Technology; Bruce Karnopp,


University of Michigan; Kenneth A. Kline, Wayne State University; Pierre
M. Larochelle, Florida Institute of Technology; Steven Y. Liang, Georgia Institute
of Technology; Per Lundqvist, Royal Institute of Technology (Stockholm); William
E. Murphy, University of Kentucky; Petru Petrina, Cornell University; Anthony
Renshaw, Columbia University; Oziel Rios, University of Texas-Dallas; Hadas
Ritz, Cornell University; Timothy W. Simpson, Pennsylvania State University; K.
Scott Smith, University of North Carolina (at Charlotte); Michael M. Stanisic,
University of Notre Dame; Gloria Starns, Iowa State University; David J. Thum,
California Polytechnic State University (San Luis Obispo); and David A Willis,
Southern Methodist University. We are grateful for their detailed comments and
helpful suggestions.
On all counts, we have enjoyed interacting with the editorial staff at Cengage
Learning. As the textbook’s publisher and developmental editor, Tim Anderson
and Mona Zeftel were committed to developing a high-quality product, and it
has been a continuing pleasure to collaborate with them. The fourth edition’s
production team included Jean Buttrom, Michelle Kunkler, Kristiina Paul, Alex
Sham, and the staff of RPK Editorial Services. They managed production with
skill and professionalism and with a keen eye for detail. To each, we express our
thanks for a job well done.
Colleagues at the following industrial, academic, and governmental
organizations were remarkably helpful and patient in providing us with
photographs, illustrations, and technical information: General Motors, Intel,
Fluent, General Electric, Enron Wind, Boston Gear, Mechanical Dynamics,
Caterpillar, NASA, NASA’s Glenn Research Center, W. M. Berg, FANUC
Robotics, the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, Niagara Gear, Velocity11, Stratasys,
National Robotics Engineering Consortium, Lockheed-Martin, Algor, MTS
Systems, Westinghouse Electric, Timken, Sandia National Laboratories,
Hitachi Global Storage Technologies, Segway LLC, the U.S. Department of
Labor, and the U.S. Department of Energy. We’ve surely not listed everyone
who has helped us with this endeavor, and we apologize for any inadvertent
omissions that we may have made.
About the Authors

Jonathan Wickert serves as Senior Vice President and Provost


at Iowa State University and is responsible for the university’s educational,
research, and extension and outreach programs. He previously served as
Photo courtesy of Dave Gieseke department chair and dean at Iowa State, and before then was a member of
the faculty at Carnegie Mellon University. Dr. Wickert received his B.S., M.S.,
and Ph.D. degrees in mechanical engineering from the University of California,
Berkeley, and he was a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Cambridge.
The Society of Automotive Engineers, the American Society for Engineering
Education, and the Information Storage Industry Consortium have recognized
Dr. Wickert for his teaching and research, and he was elected a fellow of the
Jonathan Wickert American Society of Mechanical Engineers and the National Academy of
Inventors. As a researcher and consultant in the field of mechanical vibration,
he has worked with companies and federal agencies on a diverse range of
technical applications including computer data storage; the manufacture of
sheet metal, fiberglass, polymers, and industrial chemicals; automotive brakes;
radial flow gas turbines; and consumer products.

Kemper Lewis serves as Chair of the Mechanical and Aerospace


© 2011 University at Buffalo/Douglas Levere

Engineering Department at the University at Buffalo – SUNY where he also


holds a faculty appointment as Professor. He teaches and conducts research in
the areas of mechanical design, system optimization, and decision modeling.
As a researcher and consultant, he has worked with companies and federal
agencies on a wide range of engineering design problems including turbine
engine product and process design; optimization of industrial gas systems;
air and ground vehicle design; innovation in consumer product design; and
manufacturing process control for thin film resistors, heat exchangers,
Kemper Lewis and medical electronics. Dr. Lewis received his B.S. in mechanical engineering
and B.A. in Mathematics from Duke University and his M.S., and Ph.D. degrees
in mechanical engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology. He has
served as associate editor of the ASME Journal of Mechanical Design, on the
ASME Design Automation Executive Committee, and on the National Academies
Panel on Benchmarking the Research Competitiveness of the United States in
Mechanical Engineering. Dr. Lewis has received awards in recognition of his
teaching and research from the Society of Automotive Engineers, the American
Society for Engineering Education, the American Institute of Aeronautics and
Astronautics, and the National Science Foundation. He also was elected fellow
of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers.

 xxi
CHAPTER 1

The Mechanical
Technical Problem-Solving
Engineering
and Communication Skills
Profession CHAPTER
OBJECTIVES
1-1 Describe some of the differences 1-4 List some of the products, processes,
among engineers, mathematicians, and hardware that mechanical engineers
and scientists. design.
1-2 Discuss the type of work that mechanical 1-5 Recognize how the mechanical
engineers do, list some of the technical engineering profession’s “top ten” list of
issues they address, and identify achievements has advanced our society
the impact that they have in solving and improved day-to-day lives.
global, social, environmental, and 1-6 Understand the objectives and format
economic problems. of a typical curriculum for mechanical
1-3 Identify some of the industries and engineering students.
governmental agencies that employ
mechanical engineers.

▸▸ 1.1 Overview

I
n this introductory chapter, we describe who mechanical engineers are,
what they do, what their challenges and rewards are, what their global
impact can be, and what their notable accomplishments have been.
Engineering is the practical endeavor in which the tools of mathematics and
science are applied to develop cost-effective solutions to the technological
problems facing our society. Engineers design many of the consumer products
that you use every day. They also create a large number of other products that
you do not necessarily see or hear about because they are used in business
and industrial settings. Nevertheless, they make important contributions
to our society, our world, and our planet. Engineers develop the machinery
that is needed to manufacture most products, the factories that make them,
and the quality control systems that guarantee the product’s safety and
performance. Engineering is all about making useful things that work and
impact lives.

 1
2  Chapter 1   The Mechanical Engineering Profession

The Elements of Mechanical Engineering


The discipline of mechanical engineering is concerned in part with certain
“elements”:
●● Design (Chapter 2)
●● Professional Practices (Chapter 3)
●● Forces (Chapter 4)
●● Materials (Chapter 5)
●● Fluids (Chapter 6)
●● Energy (Chapter 7)
●● Motion (Chapter 8)
Mechanical engineers invent machines and structures that exploit those
elements in order to serve a useful purpose and solve a problem. Original design
and the practical issue of making something that works are the themes behind
any engineering endeavor. An engineer creates a machine or product to help
someone solve a technical problem. The engineer might start from a blank sheet
of paper, conceive something new, develop and refine it so that it works reliably,
and—all the while—satisfy the constraints of safety, cost, and manufacturability.
Robotic welding systems (Figure 1.1), internal combustion engines, sports
equipment, computer hard disk drives, prosthetic limbs, automobiles, aircraft,
jet engines, surgical tools, and wind turbines are some of the thousands of
technologies that mechanical engineering encompasses. It would not be much of
an exaggeration to claim that, for every product you can imagine, a mechanical
engineer was involved at some point in its design, materials selection, temperature
control, quality assurance, or production. Even if a mechanical engineer didn’t
conceive or design the product per se, it’s still a safe bet that a mechanical engineer
designed the machines that built, tested, or delivered the product.
Mechanical engineering has been defined as the profession in which power-
producing and power-consuming machines are researched, designed, and
manufactured. In fact, mechanical engineers devise machines that produce or
consume power over the remarkably wide scale shown in Figure 1.2, ranging from

Figure 1.1
Robots are used in
environments that
require precise and
repetitive tasks such
as industrial assembly
lines and in extreme
environments like this
deep sea repair on a
corroded pipe.
Paul Fleet/Shutterstock.com
1.1 Overview   3

Ultrasonic Machine SpaceX Falcon


motor tools Heavy rocket

Horsepower
10−12 hp 10−9 hp 10−6 hp 10−3 hp 1 hp 103 hp 106 hp

Figure 1.2
10−9 W 10−6 W 10−3 W 1W 103 W 106 W 109 W
Watts Mechanical engineers
work with machines
Tritium Athlete Automobile Power that produce or
battery engine plant consume power over a
remarkably wide range.

nanowatts (nW) to gigawatts (GW). Few professions require a person to deal with
physical quantities across so many orders of magnitude (one quintillionfold or a
factor of 1,000,000,000,000,000,000), but mechanical engineering does. At the
lower end of the power range, batteries powered by the decay of the hydrogen
isotope tritium can generate nanowatts of power for sensors, electronic
equipment, and small precision ultrasonic motors, such as those used in a
camera’s autofocus lens. Moving upward in power level, an athlete using exercise
equipment, such as a rowing machine or a stair climber, can produce up to several
hundred watts (about 0.25–0.5 horsepower [hp]) over an extended period of
time. The electric motor in an industrial drill press might develop 1000 W, and
the engine on a sport utility vehicle is capable of producing about 100 times that
amount of power. At the upper end of the scale, SpaceX’s Falcon Heavy rocket
(Figure 1.3) produces approximately 1,800,000 hp at liftoff. Finally, a commercial
electrical power plant can generate one billion watts of power, which is an amount
sufficient to supply a community of 800,000 households with electricity.

Figure 1.3
The Falcon Heavy
rocket from SpaceX,
which is able to
lift into orbit the
equivalent of a Boeing
737 jetliner loaded
with passengers, crew,
luggage, and fuel.
HO/Reuters/Landov
4  Chapter 1   The Mechanical Engineering Profession

▸▸ 1.2 What Is Engineering?

T
he word “engineering” derives from the Latin root ingeniere,
meaning to design or to devise, which also forms the basis of the
word “ingenious.” Those meanings are quite appropriate summaries
of the traits of a good engineer. At the most fundamental level, engineers
apply their knowledge of mathematics, science, and materials—as well as
their skills in communications and business—to develop new and better
technologies. Rather than experiment solely through trial and error,
engineers are educated to use mathematics, scientific principles, and
computer simulations (Figure 1.4) as tools to create faster, more accurate,
and more economical designs.
In that sense, the work of an engineer differs from that of a scientist,
who would normally emphasize the discovery of physical laws rather than
apply those phenomena to develop new products. Engineering is essentially
a bridge between scientific discovery and product applications. Engineering
does not exist for the sake of furthering or applying mathematics, science,
and computation by themselves. Rather, engineering is a driver of social
and economic growth and an integral part of the business cycle. With that
perspective, the U.S. Department of Labor summarizes the engineering
profession as follows:
Engineers apply the theories and principles of science and mathematics to research
and develop economical solutions to technical problems. Their work is the link
between perceived social needs and commercial applications. Engineers design
products, machinery to build those products, plants in which those products are
Figure 1.4 made, and the systems that ensure the quality of the products and the efficiency of
On a day-to-day basis,
the workforce and manufacturing process. Engineers design, plan, and supervise
mechanical engineers the construction of buildings, highways, and transit systems. They develop and
use state-of-the-art implement improved ways to extract, process, and use raw materials, such as
cyber-enabled tools petroleum and natural gas. They develop new materials that both improve the
to design, visualize, performance of products and take advantage of advances in technology. They
simulate, and improve harness the power of the sun, the Earth, atoms, and electricity for use in supplying
products.
Copyright © Kevin C. Hulsey.

(a) (b)
1.2 What Is Engineering?   5

the Nation’s power needs, and create millions of products using power. They
analyze the impact of the products they develop or the systems they design on
the environment and on people using them. Engineering knowledge is applied
to improving many things, including the quality of healthcare, the safety of food
products, and the operation of financial systems.
Many students begin to study engineering because they are attracted to the
fields of mathematics and science. Others migrate toward engineering careers
because they are motivated by an interest in technology and how everyday
things work or, perhaps with more enthusiasm, how not-so-everyday things
work. A growing number of others are impassioned by the significant impact
that engineers can have on global issues such as clean water, renewable energy,
sustainable infrastructures, and disaster relief.
Regardless of how students are drawn to it, engineering is distinct
from the subjects of mathematics and science. At the end of the day, the
objective of an engineer is to have built a device that performs a task that
previously couldn’t have been completed or couldn’t have been completed so
accurately, quickly, or safely. Mathematics and science provide some of the
tools and methods that enable an engineer to test fewer mock-ups by refining
designs on paper and with computer simulations, before any metal is cut or
hardware is built. As suggested by Figure 1.5, “engineering” could be defined
as the intersection of activities related to mathematics, science, computer
simulation, and hardware.
Approximately 1.5 million people are employed as engineers in the United
States. The vast majority work in industry, and fewer than 10% are employed by
federal, state, and local governments. Engineers who are federal employees are

Mathematics

Engineering

Hardware Science

Figure 1.5
Engineers combine
their skills in
mathematics, science,
Computer simulation computers, and
hardware.
6  Chapter 1   The Mechanical Engineering Profession

often associated with such organizations as the National Aeronautics and Space
Administration (NASA) or the Departments of Defense (DOD), Transportation
(DOT), and Energy (DOE). About 3–4% of all engineers are self-employed,
working mostly in consulting and entrepreneurial capacities. Further, an
engineering degree prepares students to work in a wide range of influential
fields. In a recent list of the CEOs from the Standard & Poor’s 500, 33% have
undergraduate degrees in engineering, which is almost three times the number
as those who earned business administration or economics degrees. Similar
surveys showed that 28% of the CEOs in the Fortune 50 had an undergraduate
engineering degree. Of the 13 major industry sectors, engineering was the
most popular major for CEOs in nine of them:1
●● Business services
●● Chemicals
●● Communications
●● Electricity, gas, and sanitary
●● Electronic components
●● Industrial and commercial machinery
●● Measuring instruments
●● Oil and gas extraction
●● Transportation equipment
This is understandable since engineers know that successful problem solving
starts with effective information gathering and sound assumptions. They
know how to process information to make decisions while taking into account
unknown parameters. They also know when to isolate facts and emotions in
their decisions while being incredibly innovative and intuitive.
Although engineering majors are well represented in top business
leadership positions, their representation in top political and civic leadership
positions is mixed. Currently, only 9 of the 540 members of the 114th United
States Congress are engineers2 down from 11 engineers in the 113th United
States Congress.3 However, eight of the nine members of a recent top civic
leadership committee in China have engineering degrees.4 In addition,
the three most recent Presidents of China have all been engineers. While
government service may not be your career ambition, leaders all over the world
in all disciplines are realizing that a broad range of skills in both hard and
soft sciences is necessary in a world where globalization and communication

1
Spencer Stuart, “Leading CEOs: A Statistical Snapshot of S&P 500 Leaders” (Chicago, 2008).
2
Lucey, B., “By the Numbers: How well do you know the 114th Congress?” http://www
.dailynewsgems.com/2015/01/by-the-numbers-how-well-do-you-know-the-114th-congress.html,
January 25, 2015.
3
“Engineers in Politics,” https://www.asme.org/career-education/early-career-engineers/me-today
/me-today-march-2013-issue/engineers-in-politics
Norman R. Augustine, Is America Falling off the Flat Earth? (Washington, DC: The National
4

Academies Press, 2007).


1.2 What Is Engineering?   7

Agricultural, 0.2%
Mining and geological, All other engineers,
including mining safety, 0.5%
7.8%
Marine engineers and naval
architects, 0.4% Civil, 16.9%
Biomedical, 1.3%
Nuclear, 1.1%
Petroleum, 2.3%
Materials, 1.6%
Chemical, 2.2%
Environmental, 3.4%
Aerospace, 4.6%
Mechanical, 16.7%

Computer hardware, 5.0%

Electrical and
electronics, 19.6% Industrial, including
health and safety, 16.4%

Figure 1.6
Percentages of
technologies are making geographic divisions increasingly irrelevant. As a engineers working
result, the field of engineering is changing and this textbook encompasses in the traditional
engineering fields and
many of these changes in how engineers need to view, model, analyze, solve,
their specializations.
and disseminate the technical, social, environmental, economic, and civic
Based on data from the United States
challenges from a global perspective. Department of Labor.
Most engineers, while earning a degree in one of the major branches, end
up specializing. Though 17 engineering specialties are covered in the Federal
Government’s Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) system, numerous
other specialties are recognized by professional societies. Further, the major
branches of engineering have many subdivisions. For example, civil engineering
includes the subdivisions of structural, transportation, urban, and construction
engineering; electrical engineering includes the subdivisions of power,
control, electronics, and telecommunications engineering. Figure 1.6 depicts
the distribution of engineers in the major branches, as well as several other
specializations.
Engineers develop their skills first through formal study in an accredited
bachelor’s degree program and later through advanced graduate studies and/
or practical work experience under the supervision of accomplished and senior
engineers. When starting a new project, engineers often rely on their reasoning,
physical intuition, hands-on skills, and the judgment gained through previous
8  Chapter 1   The Mechanical Engineering Profession

technical experiences. Engineers routinely make approximate “back-of-the-


envelope” calculations to answer such questions as, “Will a 10-hp engine be
powerful enough to drive that air compressor?” or “How many g’s of acceleration
must the blade in the turbocharger withstand?”
When the answer to a particular question isn’t known or more information
is needed to complete a task, an engineer conducts additional research using
such resources as books, professional journals, and trade publications in
a technical library; sites such as Google Scholar or CiteSeer; engineering
conferences and product expositions; patents; and data provided by industry
Lifelong learning vendors. The process of becoming a good engineer is a lifelong endeavor, and
it is a composite of education and experience. One can make a good argument
that it is not possible to build a lifelong career on only the material that was
learned in college. As technologies, markets, and economies quickly grow and
evolve, engineers are constantly learning new approaches and problem-solving
techniques and informing others of their discoveries.

Focus On mechanical
engineering jobs
As you begin your formal mechanical CAD models, part sourcing, and assembly of
engineering education, keep the outcome support equipment. You will take responsibility
of your degree in mind. As your education of some subset of our environmental tests
process continues, either formally with which include sine and random vibration
more degrees or informally with on the job testing, acoustics testing, shock testing,
© Winniper Free Press. Reprinted with permission.

training, the immediate outcome is a job that and mechanism characterization. You will
matches your skills, passions, and education. contribute detailed design documentation
While you may have some perceptions about including test plans and reports, test
where mechanical engineers work, you may procedures, assembly drawings and assembly
be surprised to find mechanical engineering instructions as needed to the satellite or
opportunities in almost every company. For supporting equipment designs. You will own
instance, a quick search reveals the following production design-work such as CAD Figure 3.3
updates
positions for candidates with a bachelor level incorporating lessons learned, The
drawing fixes,
landing of Air
degree in mechanical engineering. and clarification documents. Canada Flight 143
Yeamake/Shutterstock.com

Google/Skybox Imaging General Requirements:


Description Summary: You will design in
●● Collaborate with other engineers to estab-
CAD our next generation satellite (a large,
lish the best solution or design
complex assembly) making sure parts
fit properly together and the CAD model ●● Design mechanical parts with an acute
matures efficiently with the program; early awareness of manufacturability and strive
layout in a lightweight model up through for simplicity
detailed models representing “as built.” ●● Plan complex tests on a critical piece
You will be responsible for small-to-medium of hardware
1.2 What Is Engineering?   9

●● Work hands-on in the machine shop to project goals, and contribute positively to

Claudio Divizia/Shutterstock.com
prototype, assemble completed designs, the engineering community
and run tests
●● Experience with mechanical engineering Amazon
360b/Shutterstock.com

fundamentals (thermodynamics, fluid dy- Description Summary: Given the rapid growth
namics, mechanics of materials) of our business, we can achieve Earth’s biggest
selection and still manage to offer lower
Apple, Inc. prices every day to customers by providing
Description Summary: Lead the design, cutting-edge automation technology and
development and validation of sensor excellent decision support tools/services. If
technologies including owning the end-to- you are seeking an environment where you
end mechanical development and integration can drive innovation, want to apply state-of-
of a sensor module into a product, with the-art technologies to solve extreme-scale
responsibilities including: real world problems, and want to provide
●● Brainstorming design concepts and visible benefit to end-users in an iterative
executing design concepts in all phases fast paced environment, the Amazon Prime
of a development cycle Air Team is your opportunity. You will work
with an interdisciplinary team to execute
●● Generating innovative designs with cross-
product designs from concept to production,
functional teams while driving design
including design, prototyping, validation,
towards Apple’s cosmetic requirements
testing and certification. You will also work
●● Defining mechanical component outlines with manufacturing, supply chain, quality and
and assembly schemes outside vendors to ensure a smooth transition
●● Generating dimensional and tolerance to production.
analysis
General Requirements:
●● Participating in the development of new
manufacturing processes ●● Experience designing and analyzing robust,
●● Design validation and characterization mechanical systems
from prototype bring-up to product testing ●● Enjoy problem solving and possess practi-
cal knowledge of prototype design as well
General Requirements: as production run manufacturing methods
●● 3D CAD experience required ●● Experience with CREO with knowledge of
●● Scientific method, experimental process, robust part design, managing large assem-
root cause analysis blies and creating detailed documentation
●● Applied knowledge in flex circuits, printed ●● Strong hands on experience with the abil-
circuit boards, material science and basic ity to craft simple proof-of-concept models
chemistry is beneficial in-house
●● Excellent written and verbal communica- ●● Thorough understanding and use of prin-
tion skills and people skills; ability to inter- ciples, theories and concepts in mechani-
act with management, team members and cal, aerospace, or robotics engineering
external vendors and design
●● Teamwork: the candidate must be able to In this textbook, we cover a number of these
communicate well with cross-functional skills to help you prepare to be a successful
team members, be able to efficiently col- professional in the dynamic field of mechanical
laborate with team members to achieve engineering.
10  Chapter 1   The Mechanical Engineering Profession

▸▸ 1.3 Who Are Mechanical Engineers?

T
he field of mechanical engineering encompasses the properties of forces,
materials, energy, fluids, and motion, as well as the application of those
elements to devise products that advance society and improve people’s
lives. The U.S. Department of Labor describes the profession as follows:
Mechanical engineers research, develop, design, manufacture and test tools,
engines, machines, and other mechanical devices. They work on power-
producing machines such as electricity-producing generators, internal
combustion engines, steam and gas turbines, and jet and rocket engines. They
also develop power-using machines such as refrigeration and air-conditioning
equipment, robots used in manufacturing, machine tools, materials handling
systems, and industrial production equipment.
Mechanical engineers are known for their broad scope of expertise and
for working on a wide range of machines. Just a few examples include the
microelectromechanical acceleration sensors used in automobile air bags;
heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning systems in office buildings; land,
ocean, and space robotic exploration vehicles; heavy off-road construction
equipment; hybrid gas-electric vehicles; gears, bearings, and other machine
components (Figure 1.7); artificial hip implants; deep-sea research vessels;
robotic manufacturing systems; replacement heart valves; noninvasive
equipment for detecting explosives; and interplanetary exploration spacecraft
(Figure 1.8).
Based on employment statistics, mechanical engineering is one of the largest
engineering fields, and it is often described as offering the greatest flexibility
of career choices. In 2013, approximately 258,630 people were employed as
mechanical engineers in the United States, a population representing over
16% of all engineers. The discipline is closely related to the technical areas
of industrial (254,430 people), aerospace (71,500), and nuclear (16,400)

Figure 1.7
Mechanical engineers
design machinery and
power–transmission
equipment using
various types of gears
as building-block
components.
Reprinted with permission by Niagara
Gear Corporation, Boston Gear
Corporation, and W. M. Berg,
Incorporated.
1.3 Who Are Mechanical Engineers?   11

Figure 1.8
The Mars Exploration
Rover is a mobile
geology laboratory
used to study the
history of water on
Mars. Mechanical
engineers contributed
to the design,
propulsion, thermal
control, and other
aspects of these
robotic vehicles.
NASA/JPL/Cornell University

engineering, since each of those fields evolved historically as a spin-off from


mechanical engineering. Together, the fields of mechanical, industrial, aerospace,
and nuclear engineering account for almost 39% of all engineers. Emerging
fields like biotechnology, materials science, and nanotechnology are expected
to create new job opportunities for mechanical engineers. The U.S. Bureau of
Labor Statistics predicts an increase of nearly 20,000 mechanical engineering
jobs by the year 2022. A degree in mechanical engineering can also be applied to
other engineering specialties, such as manufacturing engineering, automotive
engineering, civil engineering, or aerospace engineering.
While mechanical engineering often is regarded as the broadest of the
traditional engineering fields, there are many opportunities for specialization
in the industry or technology that interests you. For example, an engineer
in the aviation industry might focus her career on advanced technologies for
cooling turbine blades in jet engines or fly-by-wire systems for controlling an
aircraft’s flight.
Above all else, mechanical engineers make hardware that works. An
engineer’s contribution to a company or another organization ultimately is
evaluated based on whether the product functions as it should. Mechanical
engineers design equipment, it is produced by companies, and it is then sold
to the public or to industrial customers. In the process of that business cycle,
some aspect of the customer’s life is improved, and society as a whole benefits
from the technical advances and additional opportunities that are offered by
engineering research and development.

Mechanical Engineering’s Top Ten Achievements


Mechanical engineering isn’t all about numbers, calculations, computers,
gears, and grease. At its heart, the profession is driven by the desire to
advance society through technology. One of the most important professional
12  Chapter 1   The Mechanical Engineering Profession

1. The automobile
2. The Apollo program
3. Power generation
4. Agricultural mechanization
Table 1.1 5. The airplane
Top Ten Achievements 6. Integrated-circuit mass production
of the Mechanical
7. Air conditioning and refrigeration
Engineering
Profession Compiled 8. Computer-aided engineering technology
by the American 9. Bioengineering
Society of Mechanical 10. Codes and standards
Engineers

organizations in the field is ASME, founded as the American Society of


Mechanical Engineers, which currently “promotes the art, science, and practice
of multidisciplinary engineering and allied sciences around the globe.” ASME
surveyed its members to identify the major accomplishments of mechanical
engineers. This top ten list of achievements, summarized in Table 1.1, can
help you better understand who mechanical engineers are and appreciate
the contributions they have made to your world. In descending order of the
accomplishment’s perceived impact on society, the following milestones were
recognized in the survey:
1. The automobile. The development and commercialization of the
Figure 1.9 automobile were judged as the profession’s most significant achievement
Mechanical engineers in the twentieth century. Two factors responsible for the growth of
design, test, and automotive technology have been high-power, lightweight engines
manufacture and efficient processes for mass manufacturing. In addition to engine
advanced automotive improvements, competition in the automobile market has led to advances
systems, such as in the areas of safety, fuel economy, comfort, and emission control
this (a) suspension (Figure 1.9). Some of the newer technologies include hybrid gas-electric
system, (b) automatic vehicles, antilock brakes, run-flat tires, air bags, widespread use of
transmission, and composite materials, computer control of fuel-injection systems, satellite-
(c) six-cylinder gas- based navigation systems, variable valve timing, and fuel cells.
electric hybrid engine.
Copyright © Kevin C. Hulsey.

(a) (b) (c)


1.3 Who Are Mechanical Engineers?   13

Figure 1.10
Astronaut John
Young, commander
of the Apollo 16
mission, leaps from
the lunar surface at
the Descartes landing
site as he salutes the
United States flag.
The roving vehicle is
parked in front of the
lunar module.
NASA/Charlie Duke

2. The Apollo program. In 1961, President John F. Kennedy challenged


the United States to land a man on the Moon and return him safely to
Earth. The first portion of that objective was realized fewer than ten years
later with the July 20, 1969 landing of Apollo 11 on the lunar surface.
The three-man crew of Neil Armstrong, Michael Collins, and Buzz Aldrin
returned safely several days later. Because of its technological advances
and profound cultural impact, the Apollo program was chosen as the
second most influential mechanical engineering achievement of the
twentieth century (Figure 1.10).
The Apollo program was based on three primary engineering
developments: the huge three-stage Saturn V launch vehicle that produced
some 7.5 million pounds of thrust at liftoff, the command and service
module, and the lunar excursion module, which was the first vehicle ever
designed to be flown only in space.
3. Power generation. One aspect of mechanical engineering involves
designing machinery that can convert energy from one form to another.
Abundant and inexpensive energy is recognized as an important factor
behind economic growth and prosperity, and the generation of electrical
power is recognized as having improved the standard of living for billions of
people across the globe. In the twentieth century, entire societies changed
as electricity was produced and routed to homes, businesses, and factories.
Although mechanical engineers are credited with having developed
efficient technologies to convert various forms of stored energy into
more easily distributed electricity, the challenge to bring power to every
man, woman, and child around the globe still looms for mechanical
engineers. As the supply of natural resources diminishes and as fuels
become more expensive in terms of both cost and the environment,
mechanical engineers will become even more involved in developing
advanced power-generation technologies, including solar, ocean, and
wind power systems (Figure 1.11, see page 14).
14  Chapter 1   The Mechanical Engineering Profession

(a) (b) (c)


Figure 1.11
Mechanical engineers 4. Agricultural mechanization. Mechanical engineers have developed
design machines for technologies to improve significantly the efficiency in the agricultural
producing energy from industry. Automation began in earnest with the introduction of
a variety of renewable powered tractors in 1916 and the development of the combine, which
sources, such as (a) greatly simplified harvesting grain. Decades later, research is underway
solar power towers, to develop the capability for machines to harvest a field autonomously,
(b) wave energy without any human intervention using advanced machinery,
power plants , and GPS technology, and intelligent guidance and control algorithms
(c) innovative wind (Figure 1.12). Other advances include improved weather observation
turbines.
and prediction, high-capacity irrigation pumps, automated milking
(a) © PM photos/Alamy. (b) Science machines, and the digital management of crops and the control of pests.
Source. (c) eldeiv/Shutterstock.com
5. The airplane. The development of the airplane and related technologies
for safe powered flight were also recognized by the American Society of
Mechanical Engineers as a key achievement of the profession.
Mechanical engineers have developed or contributed to nearly
every aspect of aviation technology. Advancements in high-performance
military aircraft include vectored turbofan engines that enable the pilot to
redirect the engine’s thrust for vertical takeoffs and landings. Mechanical

Figure 1.12
Robotic vehicles under
development can learn
the shape and terrain
of a field of grain
and harvest it with
essentially no human
supervision.
Reprinted with permission of the National
Robotics Engineering Consortium.
1.3 Who Are Mechanical Engineers?   15

Figure 1.13
This prototype of the
X-48B, a blended wing-
body aircraft, is being
tested at the full-scale
wind tunnel at NASA
Langley Research
Center in Virginia.
NASA/Jeff Caplan

engineers design the combustion systems, turbines, and control systems


of such advanced jet engines. By taking advantage of testing facilities
such as wind tunnels (Figure 1.13), they have also spearheaded the design
of turbines, development of control systems, and discovery of lightweight
aerospace-grade materials, including titanium alloys and graphite-fiber-
reinforced epoxy composites.
6. Integrated-circuit mass production. The electronics industry has
developed remarkable technologies for miniaturizing integrated circuits,
computer memory chips, and microprocessors. The mechanical engineering
profession made key contributions during the twentieth century to the
manufacturing methods involved in producing integrated circuits. While
the vintage 8008 processor that was first sold by the Intel Corporation in
1972 had 2500 transistors, the current SPARC M7 processor from Oracle
has over 10 billion transistors (Figure 1.14, see on page 16).
Mechanical engineers design the machinery, alignment systems,
advanced materials, temperature control, and vibration isolation that
enable integrated circuits to be made at the nanometer scale.
The same manufacturing technology can be used to produce other
machines at the micro or nano level. Using these techniques, machines
with moving parts can be made so small that they are imperceptible to
the human eye and can be viewed only under a microscope. As shown
in Figure 1.15 (see page 16), individual gears can be fabricated and
assembled into geartrains that are no bigger than a speck of pollen.
7. Air conditioning and refrigeration. Mechanical engineers invented
the technologies of efficient air conditioning and refrigeration. Today,
these systems not only keep people safe and comfortable, but also
preserve food and medical supplies in refrigeration systems. Like other
infrastructures, we typically do not recognize the value of air conditioning
until it is gone. In a record European heat wave during the summer of
16  Chapter 1   The Mechanical Engineering Profession

Figure 1.14
Mechanical
engineers have
been instrumental
in developing the
manufacturing
technologies that are
necessary to build
billions of electronic
components on
devices such as the
Oracle SPARC M7.
Courtesy of Intel.

2003, for instance, over 10,000 people—many elderly—died in France as


a direct result of the searing temperatures.
8. Computer-aided engineering technology. The term “computer-aided
engineering” (CAE) refers to a wide range of automation technologies
in mechanical engineering, and it encompasses the use of computers
for performing calculations, preparing technical drawings, simulating
performance (Figure 1.16), and controlling machine tools in a factory.
Over the past several decades, computing and information technologies
have changed the manner in which mechanical engineering is practiced.
As an example, the Boeing 777 was the first commercial airliner to be
developed through a paperless computer-aided design process. The 777’s
design began in the early 1990s, and a new computer infrastructure had
to be created specifically for the design engineers. Conventional paper-
and-pencil drafting services were nearly eliminated. Computer-aided
design, analysis, and manufacturing activities were integrated across
some 200 design teams that were spread over 17 time zones. Because the
plane had over 3 million individual components, making everything fit
Figure 1.15 together was a remarkable challenge. Through the extensive usage of CAE
Mechanical engineers
design and build
machines that are
microscopic in size.
These tiny gears are
dwarfed by a spider
mite, and the entire
geartrain is smaller
than the diameter of a
human hair.
Courtesy of Sandia National Laboratories.
1.3 Who Are Mechanical Engineers?   17

Figure 1.16
(a) Mechanical
engineers use
computer simulations
to analyze and visualize
the flow of air around
aircraft including the
Harrier Jet.
Science Source
(a) (b) (b) A dynamic
tools, designers were able to check part-to-part fits in a virtual, simulated simulation of the flow
of blood through an
environment before any hardware was produced. Current CAE tools are
artery of the brain
being developed for diverse computing platforms including leveraging
is used to observe
mobile devices, cloud computing technologies, and virtual machines. the interaction
9. Bioengineering. The discipline of bioengineering links traditional between plasma
engineering fields with the life sciences and medicine. Although and blood, helping
bioengineering is considered an emerging field, it ranked in the engineers design
American Society of Mechanical Engineer’s top ten list not only for the medical devices
advances that have already been made, but also for its future potential in and helping doctors
understand disease
addressing medical and health-related problems.
diagnosis and
One objective of bioengineering is to create technologies to expand
treatment.
the pharmaceutical and healthcare industries, including drug discovery,
Joseph A. Insley and Michael E. Papka,
genomics (Figure 1.17), ultrasonic imaging, artificial joint replacements, Argonne National Laboratory.
cardiac pacemakers, artificial heart valves, and robotically assisted surgery
(Figure 1.18, see page 18). For instance, mechanical engineers apply the
principles of heat transfer to assist surgeons with cryosurgery, a technique
in which the ultralow temperature of liquid nitrogen is used to destroy
malignant tumors. Tissue engineering and the development of artificial
organs are other fields where mechanical engineers contribute, and they
often work with physicians and scientists to restore damaged skin, bone, and
cartilage in the human body.

Figure 1.17
Mechanical engineers
design and build
automated test
equipment that is used
in the biotechnology
industry.
science photo/Shutterstock.com
18  Chapter 1   The Mechanical Engineering Profession

Figure 1.18
Neurosurgeons plan
their case using
patient-specific
augmented reality
and virtual reality
simulation technology
before performing the
operation.
Joshua B. Bederson, MD and Mount Sinai
Health System

10. Codes and standards. The products that engineers design must connect
to, and be compatible with, the hardware that is developed by others.
Because of codes and standards, you can have confidence that the gasoline
purchased next month will work in your car just as well as the fuel
purchased today, and that the socket wrench purchased at an automobile
parts store in the United States will fit the bolts on a vehicle that was
manufactured in Germany. Codes and standards are necessary to specify
the physical characteristics of mechanical parts so that others can clearly
understand their structure and operation.
Many standards are developed through consensus among
governments and industry groups, and they have become increasingly
important as companies compete internationally for business. Codes and
standards involve a collaboration among trade associations, professional
engineering societies such as the American Society of Mechanical
Engineers, testing groups such as Underwriters Laboratories, and
organizations such as the American Society of Testing and Materials.

The Future of Mechanical Engineering


While the ASME’s list of the top ten accomplishments captures the past
achievements of the field, ASME also released a study identifying a number of
emerging fields within mechanical engineering.5 In Figure 1.19, the emerging
fields are sorted according to how often they were mentioned in the respondent
surveys. Not surprisingly, the top emerging fields are related to solving heath
care and energy issues. Collectively, these fields will become prominent
opportunities for mechanical engineers to have significant impact on global
health, social, and environmental issues.

The State of Mechanical Engineering: Today and Beyond, ASME, New York, NY, 2012.
5
1.3 Who Are Mechanical Engineers?   19

Nano Medicine
Nanotechnology
Bioengineering/Biomedical Engineering
Smart Materials
Renewable Energy
Battery/Storage Technology
Green Building Technologies
Smart Grids
Synthetic Biology
Micro-electromechanical Systems (MEMS)
Fuel Cells
Solar/Wind Energy
Artificial Neural Networks
Computers and Human Communication
Greenhouse Gas Mitigation
Enhanced Oil Recovery
Mechatronics
Environmental Engineering
Modular Nuclear Plant Design
Haptics
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80
Percent

Figure 1.19
Part of our intent is to help prepare you for a successful and significant The top emerging
career in any mechanical engineering field, emerging or traditional. As a fields of mechanical
result, in the subsequent chapters we cover the fundamental principles of engineering identified
mechanical engineering that will allow you to progress in your continued by an ASME study.
study and practice of the discipline. In fact, in the same ASME study, the Source: Based on data from The State
of Mechanical Engineering: Today and
most important enduring fields/tools in mechanical engineering were also Beyond, ASME, New York, NY, 2012.
identified. The principles covered in the following chapters correspond to
many of these enduring fields including the following:
●● Design Engineering (Chapter 2)
●● Finite Element Analysis (Chapters 4 and 5)
●● Fluid Mechanics (Chapter 6)
●● Stress of Heat Flow Analysis (Chapter 7)
●● Electronic Motor Development (Chapter 8)
In addition, ASME identified the “most needed skills” for mechanical engineers
to succeed in the next 10 to 20 years. At the top of the list was the ability to
communicate, which is the focus of Chapter 3. So whether your career path
takes you into an emerging field or an enduring field, mechanical engineering
will prepare you to be able solve problems using a blend of analytical models,
computational tools, and personal skills.
20  Chapter 1   The Mechanical Engineering Profession

▸▸ 1.4 Career Paths

N
ow that we have introduced the field of mechanical engineering and
some of the profession’s most significant contributions and exciting
opportunities, we next explore in more depth the career options where
future mechanical engineers will face the global, social, and environmental
challenges around the world.
Because such a wide variety of industries employ mechanical engineers, the
profession does not have a one-size-fits-all job description. Mechanical engineers
can work as designers, researchers, and technology managers for companies that
range in size from small start-ups to large multinational corporations. To give
you a glimpse of the range of available opportunities, mechanical engineers can:
●● Design and analyze any component, material, module, or system for the
next generation of hybrid vehicles
●● Design and analyze medical devices, including aids for the disabled,
surgical and diagnostic equipment, prosthetics, and artificial organs
●● Design and analyze efficient refrigeration, heating, and air-conditioning
systems
●● Design and analyze the power and heat dissipation systems for any
number of mobile computing and networking devices
●● Design and analyze advanced urban transportation and vehicle safety
systems
●● Design and analyze sustainable forms of energy that are more readily
accessible by nations, states, cities, villages, and people groups
●● Design and analyze the next generation of space exploration systems
●● Design and analyze revolutionary manufacturing equipment and
automated assembly lines for a wide range of consumer products
●● Manage a diverse team of engineers in the development of a global product
platform, identifying customer, market, and product opportunities
●● Provide consultant services to any number of industries, including
chemical, plastics, and rubber manufacturing; petroleum and coal
production; computer and electronic products; food and beverage
production; printing and publishing; utilities; and service providers
●● Work in public service for such governmental agencies as the National
Aeronautics and Space Administration, Department of Defense, National
Institute of Standards and Technology, Environmental Protection Agency,
and national research laboratories
●● Teach mathematics, physics, science, or engineering at the high school,
2-year college, or 4-year university level
●● Pursue significant careers in law, medicine, social work, business, sales, or
finance
Historically, mechanical engineers could take either a technical track or a
management track with their careers. However, the lines between these tracks
are blurring as emerging product development processes are demanding
knowledge not only about technical issues but also about economic,
1.4 Career Paths   21

environmental, customer, and manufacturing issues. What used to be done


in colocated teams using centrally located engineering expertise is now done
by globally distributed teams taking advantage of engineering expertise in
multiple geographic regions, lower-cost processes, global growth opportunities,
and access to leading technologies.
Job openings historically labeled as “mechanical engineer” now include a Career opportunities
number of diverse titles that reflect the changing nature of the profession. For
example, the following job position titles all required a degree in mechanical
engineering (taken from a leading job website):
●● Product engineer
●● Systems engineer
●● Manufacturing engineer
●● Renewable energy consultant
●● Applications engineer
●● Product applications engineer
●● Mechanical device engineer
●● Process development engineer
●● Principal engineer
●● Sales engineer
●● Design engineer
●● Power engineer
●● Packaging engineer
●● Electro-mechanical engineer
●● Facilities design engineer
●● Mechanical product engineer
●● Energy efficiency engineer
●● Mechatronics engineer
●● Project capture engineer
●● Plant engineer
Aside from requiring technical knowledge and skills, landing a job, keeping
a job, and progressing upward through one’s career will depend on a number
of skills that, at first glance, might appear to be nontechnical in nature.
Mechanical engineers must be capable of taking initiative when handling work
assignments, efficiently finding answers to problems, and accepting additional
responsibility with success. A quick survey of engineering positions on any job
website will demonstrate that employers place significant value on the ability
of a mechanical engineer to communicate to a wide range of backgrounds and Communication
in all forms of verbal and written media. In fact, companies looking to hire skills
engineers routinely note effective communication as the most important
nontechnical attribute for aspiring engineers. The reason is quite simple—at
each stage of a product’s development, mechanical engineers work with a wide
range of people: supervisors, colleagues, marketing, management, customers,
investors, and suppliers. An engineer’s ability to discuss and explain technical
and business concepts clearly, and to interact well with coworkers, is critical.
Another random document with
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—i.e. fibroid phthisis—is not borne out by clinical or pathological
investigation, and appears to be wholly without foundation in fact.

Pulmonary Phthisis.—The question whether or not chronic


alcoholism exerts any influence in the production and evolution of
pulmonary phthisis has been the subject of no little fruitless
controversy. There are medical men of experience who do not
hesitate to affirm that the abundant use of alcohol constitutes in
certain cases an actual prophylaxis, while there are others who insist
with equal positiveness that alcoholic excesses favor the
development of this affection. Whatever may be the influence of
alcohol in depressing the forces of the body and in the production of
serious lesions of pulmonary structures, and thus predisposing the
subject to phthisis, it can be asserted with confidence that it does not
directly cause any form of phthisis whatever. The alcoholic phthisis
of Lancereaux, Richardson, Drysdale, and others cannot be now
regarded as a distinct, independent affection. The process of
exclusion by which alcohol was made to seem the real cause of the
disease in 36 of 2000 of the cases examined by Richardson was not
sufficiently rigid to meet the requirements of our present knowledge.
There is reason to believe that by its favorable influence upon the
appetite and digestion, its power to reduce temperature, its retarding
influence upon tissue-waste, alcohol in moderate quantities is of
great use in the management of this affection. That phthisical
subjects occasionally seem to derive benefit from, and to lengthen
their lives by, excesses in alcohol is capable of explanation—first, by
the fact that an extraordinary tolerance for alcohol is natural to or
acquired by certain individuals; and, second, by the favorable
influence of alcohol upon ulcerative and suppurative processes, and
in determining connective-tissue new formation—a process by which
certain inflammatory products, including tubercle, are capable of
being rendered inert. The foregoing remarks are applicable to all
forms of pulmonary phthisis.

The Pleuræ.—The pleura is sometimes the seat of patches of


fibrinous exudation of varying extent and thickness, which are,
according to Lentz, the expression of the formative action which
constitutes one of the modalities of alcoholism, and which are of the
same nature as the fibrinous exudations which occur in the
peritoneum and the dura mater. These false membranes cause
pleural adhesions, and occasionally contain within their meshes a
turbid serous fluid.

d. Disorders of the Circulatory System.—The Heart.—This organ is


usually implicated to a greater or less extent in the course of chronic
alcoholism. Lesions of the muscular substance are more common
than those of the valvular apparatus.

Hypertrophy is common. It affects usually both sides of the heart—


the left, however, more than the right—and is associated with some
degree of dilatation. The part played by alcohol in the production of
cardiac hypertrophy is a dual one: first, that of constantly-repeated
direct stimulation of the heart; second, that of the indirect stimulation
to over-action caused by the necessity to overcome the obstacles
which the lesions of the viscera interpose to the circulation of the
blood in the later periods of the disease. Nor are the lesions of the
blood-vessels themselves, hereafter to be described, without
influence in inducing hypertrophy. Bollinger and Schmidbauer have
shown that the habitual consumption of beer in excessive quantities
leads to cardiac hypertrophy of characteristic form. Both sides of the
heart participate in the overgrowth: there is enormous increase in the
volume of the primitive muscular elements, with enlargement of the
nuclei. Whether or not actual numerical increase in the muscular
fibres takes place cannot be determined. This form of enlargement of
the heart occurs in the absence of lesions of the valves,
disturbances of the pulmonary circulation, arterial sclerosis,
atheroma, or granular kidneys. Some few of these cases of so-called
idiopathic hypertrophy are perhaps due to prolonged excessive
bodily effort and bodily strain. But the greater number are only to be
explained by habitual excesses in beer-drinking, as shown by
carefully worked-out personal histories of the patients. Neither fatty
degeneration nor myocarditis enters into the pathological process
under consideration. The hypertrophy is due to the direct action of
the alcohol consumed, to the enormous amount of fluid introduced
into the body, and to the easily-assimilated nutritive constituents of
the beer itself. Furthermore, such habits are often associated with
great bodily activity and a relatively luxurious manner of life. The
greater number of alcoholic subjects who suffer from this form of
hypertrophy perish after brief illness with symptoms of heart-failure.
At the necropsy are discovered moderate dropsy, congestion and
brown induration of the lungs, congestion of the liver, spleen,
kidneys, and other organs, bronchitis and moderate serous effusions
or general anasarca. Death is probably due to paralysis of the
cardiac nerves and ganglia. This form of hypertrophy is of course
much more common among men than among women. It is much
less common in this country than in Germany, but is occasionally
met with among brewers' employés.

Fibroid Degeneration.—This condition has been ascribed to a


number of causes, among which long-continued excess in alcohol is
unquestionably an important one. Bramwell holds the opinion that in
a certain proportion of cases of this description, in which fibroid
degeneration of the heart is connected with similar changes in the
kidneys (sclerosis), the lesions of both organs are due to alcoholism.
Alcoholic fibrosis differs in no respect from that due to other causes.
The condition may escape recognition by the unaided eye if it be
disseminated throughout the muscle and the change consist in
thickening of the perimysia around undivided fibres. The heart is
larger than normal, perhaps a little paler, and its consistency a little
more firm. When, as is more commonly the case, the fibroid change
is localized, and masses of new tissue are developed in and around
the muscular fibres, the heart assumes a flecked or streaked
appearance, due to the contrast between the yellowish-white fibroid
tissue and the brownish-red muscular structure. The microscope
shows excessive development of fibrous tissue, with atrophy of
muscular fibres. The effect is to weaken the force of the heart's
action, and to weaken the walls of the cavities at the affected parts in
such a manner as to cause local bulgings or cardiac aneurisms.

The symptoms and physical signs of fibroid degeneration of the


heart are very obscure and indefinite, and the diagnosis is always
attended with difficulty, and in many cases is impossible. Jubel-
Renoy, however, regards the diagnosis as having already attained
some clinical exactitude, and regards as important the association of
the following diagnostic data: first, feebleness of the systole and the
pulse, with augmentation of the frequency without irregularity;
second, moderate enlargement, varying within considerable limits;
and third, absence of murmurs in the greater number of the cases.
Death is apt to occur suddenly. Welch, upon investigation of the
clinical histories of cases in which fibroid degeneration of the heart
was found after death, concluded that they might be clinically
grouped as follows: first, cases in which there is no symptom of heart
disease; second, cases of sudden death without previous heart
symptoms; third, sudden death preceded by one or more attacks of
angina pectoris; fourth, after cardiac insufficiency of a few days'
standing; and fifth, in cases of old heart disease.

Fatty Heart.—Under the term fatty heart two distinct pathological


conditions are comprised. Of these the first is fatty infiltration, which
consists in an excessive development of the normal subpericardial
fat, with a deposition of fat-cells in considerable number between the
muscular fibres of the myocardium. This condition occurs chiefly in
individuals suffering from general obesity, and is particularly apt to
occur in alcoholic obesity. Large masses of fat fill the grooves and
furrows of the organ, the surface of which is covered with a thick
layer of yellowish fat. The right heart is first and most affected, but in
advanced cases the whole heart may be encased in a thick fatty
layer. When the fat-cells infiltrate the intermuscular spaces, they
exert pressure which may produce atrophy and degeneration of the
muscular elements. This condition may exist to a certain extent
without symptoms, but it is, however, apt to be manifested by a
certain amount of cardiac dyspnœa and inability to endure excessive
strain or acute illness. In cases in which the fatty infiltration attains a
high grade, inducing by mechanical pressure degenerative changes
in the muscular substance of the heart, there are signs of
embarrassment of the circulation. The precise diagnosis is usually
difficult, often impossible.
The second form of fatty heart is known as fatty degeneration, and
consists in changes in the muscular fibres by which the albuminoid
constituents are broken up and replaced by microscopic particles of
fat. After a time the transverse striæ disappear, and the functional
activity of those muscular fibres which are affected is completely lost.
All conditions which interfere with the supply of oxygen to the
muscular tissue or which seriously derange its nutrition are capable
of producing fatty degeneration. Among these are alcoholic
excesses. The color of the heart is paler than normal, usually fawn or
pale buff. It has been described as the faded-leaf color. The
consistence is softer than normal, the wall of the heart in many
instances being readily broken down by the pressure of the finger.
The left ventricle is the part most likely to be affected, the papillary
muscles being often profoundly altered. Next in order the right
ventricle is involved, then the left auricle, and finally the right auricle.
When this form of degeneration is due to disease of the coronary
arteries, the lesion is usually localized, sometimes limited to the
distribution of the branch of the artery which is affected.

Upon microscopical examination the affected muscular fibres are


found to contain minute molecules of fat, often of a uniform size,
sometimes arranged in rows, but commonly distributed irregularly
throughout the substance of the fibre. The transverse striæ are
indistinct, and sometimes wholly absent. The functional activity of the
affected fibres is seriously interfered with or wholly lost, and as a
result the force of the circulation is greatly weakened. These two
forms of fatty change are occasionally associated. Among the more
common symptoms are shortness of breath upon exertion, with dry
hacking cough. In advanced cases the dyspnœa may become
constant. The fatal issue is sometimes preceded by the Cheyne-
Stokes respiration. Other symptoms are due to cerebral anæmia.
The memory is impaired, the patient becomes wayward and irritable,
and is apt to become faint upon suddenly changing from the
recumbent to the erect posture, and in most instances is incapable of
concentrated mental effort or active bodily exertion.
The Blood-vessels.—Capillary dilatation is one of the earliest and
most persistent effects of alcohol. The visceral congestions which
constitute so important a factor in the pathology of alcoholism are in
part the result of the paralyzing action of alcohol on the vaso-motor
system, and in part of the degenerative changes in the unstriped
muscular fibres of the arterial walls.

Atheroma.—Alcoholic excesses play an important part in the etiology


of atheromatous degeneration of the arterial walls, not so much by
the direct action of the alcohol itself, as by its indirect action in
increasing the tension in the main trunks, and in leading to an
irregular life in which excitement, sudden and severe exertion,
exposure to cold, and depressing influences of all kinds play a part.

Valvular lesions of the heart do not occur as a direct result of the


action of alcohol.

e. Disorders of the Genito-urinary Apparatus.—The Kidneys.—


Alcohol, as has been shown above, is a diuretic. In large doses it
produces renal congestion. Ollivier36 observed acute transient
albuminuria resulting from the influence of excessive doses of
alcohol.
36 Essai sur les Albuminuries produites par l'Elimination des Substances toxiques,
Paris, 1863.

Much difference of opinion exists as to the part played by alcohol in


the causation of the various forms of Bright's disease. It was at one
time thought that a large proportion of the cases were due to the
abuse of this substance. Bright held this view, and Christison
attributed from three-fourths to four-fifths of all cases of granular
degeneration of the kidneys to the abuse of spirits. The latter
considered that not alone in notorious drunkards was this result likely
to occur, but even in those accustomed to the moderate daily
consumption of spirits with only occasional excesses. This opinion
for a long time largely prevailed among English writers. Of late years,
however, in consequence partly of the teachings of Anstie and
Dickinson, partly of more precise methods of reasoning, the direct
causative relation between chronic alcoholism and disease of the
kidneys has come to be questioned. Nevertheless, many teachers of
authority adhere to the former view. It is, however, more than
probable that the action of alcohol is not of itself capable of
producing these effects in the absence of other causes, among
which are insufficient or improper diet, irregular living, damp
dwelling-places, occupations necessitating great or prolonged
exposure to cold and wet or such exposure from accidental causes
—circumstances to which those who, especially among the poorer
classes, are addicted to drink are peculiarly liable. Nor must we
overlook the influence of exposure to paludal poison, of lead, and of
heredity in the causation of diseases of the kidneys. While alcohol
cannot be regarded as the direct exciting cause of acute or chronic
nephritis, chronic alcoholism acts as an influence predisposing to the
development of these affections in persons otherwise liable to them.

Congestion of the Kidneys.—The general action of alcohol in


inducing visceral hyperæmia is aided by its special diuretic action in
causing chronic congestion (cyanotic kidney). The kidney is of a dark
violet-red hue, slightly enlarged, especially in its transverse diameter,
of a consistence firmer than normal, and bleeds freely upon section.

Acute parenchymatous nephritis is of rare occurrence in chronic


alcoholism. Of chronic parenchymatous nephritis Bartels37 writes: “I
may say that alcoholic excesses, to which the disease is by many
attributed, cannot be charged with being the cause of it. None of the
cases treated by me occurred in drunkards, and in no instance have
I encountered the large white kidney at the autopsies of notorious
drinkers, of which I have made a not inconsiderable number during
my many years' active hospital service.” The same author in
discussing the etiology of chronic interstitial nephritis (contracted
kidney) enters a protest against the view which is widespread in
England that the abuse of spirituous liquors favors the development
of the genuine contracted kidney. He says: “In the first place, among
all the patients whom I have treated, three only were brandy-drinkers
to any notorious excess, while by far the greater number who were
affected with this complaint had lived remarkably abstemious lives.
In the second place, throughout my twenty-five years of active
service as a hospital physician I have had the most abundant
opportunity of watching the consequences of intemperance, both at
the bedside and upon the post-mortem table; yet these three cases
have hitherto been the only ones in which I have found atrophied
kidneys in the bodies of habitual drunkards.” Baer also testifies to the
infrequency of contracted kidneys among drunkards.
37 Ziemssen's Cyclopædia of Medicine.

Fürstner detected by very exact testing a trace of albumen in the


urine of almost all cases of delirium tremens examined. Its presence
was, however, transient, and appeared to be not associated with
structural changes in the kidneys.38
38 Berliner klin. Wochenschrift, 1876, No. 28.

Fatty infiltration and fatty degeneration of the kidneys occur in


chronic alcoholism, the former as part of the general fat
accumulation, the latter as a result of the general nutritive
disturbances.

Amyloid degeneration is rare, and can in no case be ascribed to the


direct action of alcohol.

Griesinger saw excessive diabetes insipidus follow a prolonged and


severe attack of acute alcoholism in a man twenty-eight years old,
and terminate fatally in the course of four months. Ebstein attributes
the polyuria of acute alcoholism to lesions of the brain.

Glycosuria is rare among drunkards.

The Bladder.—Catarrh of the bladder is not rare in chronic


alcoholism, especially in that form originating from excesses in malt
liquors. This condition, however, scarcely occurs with sufficient
frequency to be regarded as in any sense a symptom of alcoholism.
The Genital Organs.—The subjects of alcoholism are especially
prone to sexual disorders of all kinds—a fact to be explained by the
influence of alcohol on the imagination, and especially upon the
sexual appetite, its debasing effect on the moral sense and upon the
judgment, and the indifference to the consequences of exposure
which it begets. In the later stages of chronic alcoholism sexual
power is apt to be greatly enfeebled or wholly lost. This condition,
which is usually attended also by loss of sexual desire, is to be
attributed to the action of alcohol upon the nervous system rather
than upon the sexual organs themselves. It has nevertheless been
established that long-continued alcoholic excesses are apt to be
followed by atrophy of the testicles. Lancereaux has described a
condition of these organs resembling in all respects senile atrophy.
On the other hand, Huss attributed the impotence of alcoholic
subjects to loss of nervous tone. In the female, alcoholism produces
disturbances of menstruation and premature menopause. Alcoholic
excesses are said also to produce a liability to abortion, and
Lancereaux has observed atrophy of the ovaries in alcoholic
subjects.

2. Disorders of Special Structures.—a. Disorders of the Locomotive


Apparatus.—The muscles at large, like the heart, are liable to fatty
infiltration and degeneration. Fatty infiltration, frequent at some
period in the course of the affection, is apt to be widespread. The
muscles are paler than normal, softer in consistence, and streaked
with fat. True fatty degeneration is less frequent, and apt to be
localized. Here the muscular fibres lose their striation, and present
within the myolemma minute fatty deposits in the form of granules.
This change is accompanied by atrophy. The symptoms consist in
feebleness and difficulty in movement and in locomotion.

Changes in the bones, notably enlargement of and increase in the


contents of the medullary canal in the long bones, and arthropathies
of various kinds, have been observed in alcoholic subjects.

b. Disorders of the Skin.—Alcohol is a sudorific, and is largely


eliminated by the skin. This effect is purely physiological; therefore
the moderate and occasional use of alcohol exerts an influence
rather favorable than otherwise upon the tegumentary structures, but
in repeated excesses it gives rise to more or less cutaneous
irritation. The skin, partly for this reason, and partly because it
shares in the general disturbance of nutrition, becomes dry, harsh,
and scaly; after a time the face, and especially the nose and
neighboring parts, assumes in many instances a violaceous hue, the
minute superficial cutaneous veins are enlarged, and acne is
common. The resulting appearance is almost characteristic of the
habits of the individual. Alcoholic subjects frequently suffer from
pruritis, urticaria, and eczema. In certain cases the skin, instead of
being dry and harsh, is soft and unctuous, and in others, especially
in the more advanced cases, it becomes slightly yellow or earthy in
hue. Owing in part to changes in the nutrition, and in part to vascular
dilatation, the skin of the extremities is not rarely mottled and
cyanotic. In certain forms of alcoholism of the nervous system, and
particularly in alcoholic paralysis, in which we have to do with
multiple peripheral neuritis, the skin of the affected parts, especially
that overlying the atrophied muscles, becomes, in consequence of
trophic changes, dusky in color and hard, smooth, and glossy. It has
been stated that chronic alcoholism is a cause of pellagra, and
numerous observations have been advanced in support of this view
(Hardy). The excessive rarity of this condition in countries in which
the abuse of alcohol is most common renders it probable that the
occasional association of these affections is accidental rather than
causal. Chronic alcoholism predisposes to gangrene of the skin and
to bed-sores; slight wounds readily inflame and are slow to heal;
alcoholic subjects are especially predisposed to erysipelas, while the
enfeeblement of the circulation and the lowered tone in the later
stages of chronic alcoholism often result in œdema of the inferior
extremities.

3. General Disorders.—In addition to the various local disorders thus


far described, the prolonged excessive indulgence in alcohol leads to
profound disturbances of the processes of nutrition, which are
manifested in alterations in the blood, in excessive accumulation of
fat, and in a well-marked cachexia.
a. The Blood.—The alterations in the blood, although sufficiently
manifest in disorders of nutrition, have not yet been studied with
satisfactory results. In chronic alcoholism the proportion of water is
increased, while that of fibrin is diminished. After death the blood
remains fluid. The red globules are diminished in number. The blood
also contains free fat, to which it owes its pale, opalescent, and
sometimes almost milky hue. The presence of fat has been
demonstrated after the injection of alcohol into the veins of animals.

b. Obesity.—Fat-infiltration and fat-accumulation must be regarded


as among the most characteristic disturbances produced by alcohol.
Fat is abundantly stored up in the subcutaneous tissues. The
anterior abdominal wall is especially liable to its accumulation. The
heart, kidneys, omentum, and mesenteries are also not infrequently
the seat of abnormally large accumulations of fat. Fat also collects in
the muscles and in the intermuscular planes, but to a less extent.
Obesity is not, however, so frequent in the advanced stages of
alcoholism as it is while the subject has not yet lost the appearance
of health, and in a large proportion of the individuals it does not
manifest itself at all. It appears to depend largely upon the character
of the drink, and is especially frequent among those addicted to
excesses in beer. It is less common among wine-drinkers, and
relatively infrequent and of moderate degree in those who confine
themselves to spirits. A sedentary life, and perhaps also an
hereditary tendency, exerts an important influence upon the
development of obesity in alcoholism.

c. Alcoholic Cachexia.—The action of alcohol in excessive amounts


upon the nutrition of the body at large, and in particular upon the
nutrition of the nervous system, is radically unfavorable. This
unfavorable influence manifests itself from the beginning, while the
subject yet presents the appearance of health, and long before the
occurrence of either the symptoms or physical signs of organic
disease. The powers of resistance to unfavorable influences of all
kinds are diminished; the ability to endure hardships, privations, and
fatigue is lessened; sickness and injuries are badly borne;
complications are frequent and grave; and convalescence is apt to
be tardy and insecure. It is among the more striking peculiarities of
the alcoholic subject that blood-losses are badly borne and slowly
repaired. It is this want of tone, often latent for a long time under
ordinary circumstances, which unfits those addicted to alcohol for
Arctic and exploring expeditions and for military and scientific
enterprises involving prolonged hardship and exposure. In the
course of time disorders of the digestion, of hæmatosis, of
circulation, increase the difficulty and render it more apparent. The
fat now rapidly diminishes; anæmia develops; the complexion
becomes dull, earthy, or slightly jaundiced, the tissues flabby. Then
follow diarrhœa, hemorrhages from mucous surfaces, serous
effusions, visceral congestions of high degree, hypostasis, œdema,
and progressive deterioration of all the powers alike of the body and
the mind until the dyscrasia is complete.

The subjects of chronic alcoholism are especially prone to affections


of the respiratory tract and to the infectious diseases. They furnish,
as a rule, the earliest victims in epidemics. They not rarely die of
pneumonia. They develop troublesome delirium in simple maladies,
and in all acute affections the prognosis is unfavorable as compared
with that in persons of sober habits. As Clouston well says, “The
whole organism suffers sanative and mental lowering, alteration of
functions and of energizing.”

B. DERANGEMENTS OF THE NERVOUS SYSTEM: CEREBRO-SPINAL


DISORDERS.—The disorders of the central nervous system in chronic
alcoholism are even more numerous and more important than those
already described. Many transient and permanent disturbances of
function occur without anatomical lesions recognizable by existing
methods of examination; many others are associated with readily-
discoverable changes of structure. These changes are encountered
in the blood-vessels, the meninges, the substance of the cerebro-
spinal axis, and in the peripheral nerves. Much as they differ in
appearance and in their clinical manifestations, they may all be
referred to three processes: (a) congestion and inflammation; (b)
sclerosis; and (c) stentosis.
1. Cerebral Disorders.—The Cranium.—The bones of the skull are
often thicker and more dense than normal. This change implicates
the diploë and the outer and inner tables. The last is then deeply
channelled for the blood-vessels and deeply indented for the
Pacchionian bodies, which are commonly hypertrophied.

The Vessels.—Disturbances of the cerebral circulation are among


the earliest and most important symptoms. Due primarily to the
increased action of the heart and vaso-motor dilatation of the blood-
vessels excited by repeated large amounts of alcohol, and
secondarily to permanent enlargement of the vessels in
consequence of fatty or atheromatous degeneration of their walls,
some degree of active or passive congestion is almost always
present. It is probable also that in consequence of irregular and
complex disturbances of the circulation secondary localized
ischæmia occurs. Lentz states that anæmia is more common in the
cerebral substance than in the membranes.

The capillaries are usually much altered—sometimes uniformly


dilated to a considerable extent, sometimes forming capillary
aneurisms. They are more sinuous than normal, their walls show
evidences of fatty degeneration, and they sometimes contain minute
thrombi. Extravasated blood, in the form of circumscribed collections,
of diffuse layers, or finally of capillary hemorrhages, also occurs.
These collections are sometimes free, sometimes encysted.

The Meninges.—The dura mater is congested; occasionally it shows


more or less extensive areas of inflammation with exudation of
lymph. Purulent exudation in the absence of traumatism is rare. The
lymph may be deposited in the form of patches of varying extent, or
it may form more or less extensive false membranes. These
accumulations are of variable, often considerable, thickness, and
constitute the condition described as pachymeningitis hæmorrhagica
interna, or, from the large amount of blood which they contain,
hæmatoma of the cerebral meninges. They occupy the convexity of
the brain, and are developed upon the inner surface of the dura; they
are usually nearly symmetrical in outline, but of different thickness
upon the two sides. They consist of superimposed layers of lymph,
between which, or within the substance of which, are more or less
extensive blood-extravasations, either fluid, coagulated, or
undergoing resorption. More frequently the exudation consists of
mere shreds of lymph within the cavity of the arachnoid.

The arachnoid is almost invariably altered. Upon the convex surface


of the hemispheres, especially along the median fissure, it is
thickened and opaque. This condition may be uniform or distributed
in patches, and is apt to follow the line of the blood-vessels.

The pia mater is congested, often œdematous, not rarely the seat of
blood-effusions of greater or less extent.

The cerebro-spinal fluid is usually more abundant than normal, of a


deeper color, cloudy, sometimes tinged with the coloring matter of
the blood.

The Brain.—The intimate lesions of the substance of the brain are


not yet known. The volume of the encephalon, as a rule, undergoes
no change. Occasionally it appears to be swollen, and protrudes with
some degree of force through the incision first made in the
membranes. More commonly, the brain is throughout or in certain
parts atrophied or shrivelled, its convolutions flattened, its surface
retracted. This is sometimes the result of the pressure of collections
of hemorrhagic or inflammatory products.

The consistence of the cerebral mass is sometimes increased; it


becomes harder, more resistant to pressure, and preserves its form
when removed from the cranium better than the normal brain. This
condition may be present throughout the brain or it may be localized.
In the latter case it is usually due to patches of sclerosis. Softening in
more or less extensive areas may occur in the advanced stages of
the more severe forms of chronic alcoholism. It is found chiefly in the
gray substance, where the vessels are more numerous, especially in
the cortex and central ganglia. In this as in other affections cerebral
softening is the result of obstruction of the circulation in
consequence of atheroma, thrombosis, or other change in the
arteries. It varies from simple diminution in consistency to diffluence.

The nervous substance of the brain doubtless undergoes changes


proportionate to the degree and duration of its exposure to an
alcohol-charged blood. What these changes are has not yet been
fully determined. The nerve-cells of the cortex have been found
rounded and contracted, so that instead of being surrounded by a
small lymph-space they seem to be lying in large cavities, and so
granular that the nucleus can hardly be made out. Slight increase in
the number of the small round cells in the cortex and in the adjoining
parts of the white matter has also been observed (Hun). These
changes are not, however, constant. Not only has the microscopical
morbid anatomy of the lesions of nerve-substance peculiar to chronic
alcoholism not yet been worked out, but even macroscopic changes
adequate to account for symptoms that were during life serious,
persistent, and apparently referable to well-defined lesions, are
sometimes absent altogether.

It is important to distinguish the disorders due to the direct action of


alcohol, which are often functional or dependent upon lesions too
subtle for recognition, from those which are secondary and
dependent for the most part upon coarser changes of structure.

In consequence of hyperæmia of the brain and its membranes there


not infrequently occur a sense of confusion or dulness, increasing to
headache, which may become almost unbearable, mental
disturbances of the most varied character, disorders of movement
and sensation, and disorders of the special senses.

Cerebral hemorrhage, to which the subjects of chronic alcoholism


are, in consequence of the vascular lesions already described,
peculiarly prone, manifests itself by the usual primary and secondary
phenomena. Meningeal hemorrhage, save in the form of hæmatoma,
is rare except in the advanced stages of paretic dementia.

The blood in alcoholic dyscrasia undergoes changes which favor its


transudation through the walls of the vessels; hence a tendency to
œdema and to accumulations in serous sacs. This tendency
implicates the structures of the nervous system in common with the
organism at large. The ventricles of the brain become distended with
fluid, and the brain-substance itself and the meninges not rarely
become œdematous in the last stage of chronic alcoholism, in
consequence of grave disturbances of the circulation or as
complications of affections of the lungs, heart, or kidneys. These
conditions are attended by mental obscuration, somnolence
alternating with sleeplessness, delirium, maniacal paroxysms,
impairment of muscular power, of general and special sensibility,
impaired reflexes, inability to speak, deepening stupor, and death.

2. Spinal Disorders.—Lesions of the spinal cord or its membranes


have been rarely discovered. When present they have been
invariably associated with similar or corresponding lesions of the
brain or its envelopes. Leyden39 states that not only do the cerebral
meninges present inflammatory changes in chronic alcoholism, but
the meninges of the cord are sometimes found in an analogous
condition; that pachymeningitis hæmorrhagica interna spinalis has
also been observed, as well as other forms of spinal meningitis, with
thickening and discoloration of the pia and dura; and that œdema of
the pia has been especially noted. While anatomical lesions of the
cord are less frequent than lesions of the brain, nutritive and
functional disturbances, as manifested in the general
symptomatology, are quite as common in one as in the other.
39 Klinik des Rückenmarkskrankheiten.

3. Disorders of the Peripheral Nerves.—Magnus Huss found no


change in the peripheral nerves in five cases in which they were
carefully examined. Lancereaux discovered degenerative changes in
the peripheral filaments in alcoholic paralysis. Leudet found
hypertrophy of the neurilemma and alterations in the cubital nerve in
an individual suffering from chronic alcoholism in whom this nerve
was paralyzed. Dejerine40 observed in two fatal cases of alcoholic
paralysis neuritis of peripheral nerves with integrity of the nerve-
roots, the spinal ganglia, and the cord. In one of Dreschfeld's cases
of alcoholic paralysis,41 in which the cord was found perfectly normal,
the “sciatic appeared thin and grayish, and was surrounded by a
great deal of adipose tissue. Vertical sections showed, when treated
with perosmic acid and stained afterward with picro-carmine, a
moniliform appearance of the nerve-tubes, due to breaking up of the
myelin; the nuclei were increased, and there was also some
interstitial cell-infiltration. Transverse sections showed in some few
places an increase in the diameter of the axis-cylinder, and again the
interstitial infiltration.”
40 Archives de Physiologie nerv. et patholog., No. 2, 1884.

41 Brain, Jan., 1886.

Disorders of General Sensibility.—Disorders of general sensibility


are among the earliest of the nervous phenomena of chronic
alcoholism. They occur in the following order: hyperæsthesia,
dysæsthesia, and anæsthesia. Disturbances of sensibility manifest
themselves, quite independently of hallucinations, as sensations of
malaise, of discomfort, of chilliness, of cramps, or of abnormal
warmth or cold. Sometimes they amount merely to momentary
discomfort, at other times to extreme pain. They are usually limited,
often to the feet and legs, sometimes to the hands and arms; again,
they are experienced in the trunk, and especially in the back. They
are most common during the evening; less frequently they are
induced by the warmth of the bed; and, again, they are experienced
on rising. They are apt to be associated with occipital or frontal
headache.

Among the most frequent nervous phenomena of chronic alcoholism


are disturbances of sleep. Sleep is light, uneasy, and disturbed,
difficult to obtain, troubled with dreams, and unrefreshing. More or
less complete insomnia is by no means rare. It is more apt to occur,
however, after acute exacerbations of alcoholism than in the ordinary
chronic condition.

Hyperæsthesia manifests itself as an increased sensibility to pain, to


mere contact, to temperature, and in an exaggeration of the
muscular sense. Two general forms may be distinguished—the
superficial and deep. The former usually manifests itself by an
exaggerated sensibility of the skin, especially along the course of the
superficial nerves and at their points of emergence from the deeper
structures. The latter consists in a more or less intense sensation of
pain, often diffuse, sometimes almost unbearable, and associated
with a sensation of heat or cold, which is most commonly
experienced in the lower extremities. It is often referred by the
patient to the deeper muscles or to the bones and joints, and is
increased by movement or pressure.

Anæsthesia is a much more common occurrence. It is usually


developed during the later period of chronic alcoholism, and may
implicate the skin, the mucous tissues, or the deeper structures. It
presents all degrees from mere impairment to absolute loss of
sensation. In the latter case, contact, pain, temperature, and
electrical stimulation equally fail to excite sensation. In the deep
anæsthesia of alcoholism pressure and electro-muscular sensibility
are alike impaired. The muscular sense is also enfeebled or
abolished. The regions which are the seat of anæsthesia are, as a
rule, of a lower temperature than those in which sensation is normal.
The anæsthesia may extend to the conjunctiva, and even to the
cornea and to the mucous membrane of the mouth and throat. It has
also been observed in the mucous membrane of the genitalia and at
the verge of the anus.

Disorders of Motion.—Disorders of motion consist of tremor,


subsultus, spasm, convulsions, muscular paresis, and palsies.
Tremor is a very frequent phenomenon in chronic alcoholism. It
consists generally of a series of rapid rhythmical movements.
Sometimes the extent of the movement is increased and their rhythm
irregular. They are then choreiform. The tremor may be continuous;
much more frequently it only appears in the morning. The subject
has then some difficulty in dressing himself, particularly in buttoning
his clothing, in shaving himself, and in raising a cup to his lips. This
symptom commonly ceases after the ingestion of a certain quantity
of alcohol, only to return on the following morning or after a
considerable period of abstinence. Voluntary movements intensify
the tremor. It most commonly affects the upper extremities, next in
frequency the muscles of the face, and finally the lower extremities.
In rare cases it affects the muscles of the whole body. Alcoholic
tremor affecting the hands and arms renders the subject awkward
and interferes with his ability to work; affecting the lower extremities,
it gives rise to an embarrassing, irregular gait; affecting the lips and
tongue, it produces hesitation of speech or stammering, and when it
is of a high degree articulation may be so imperfect that conversation
is impossible; affecting the muscles of the eyes, it gives rise to
nystagmus. Tremor is not infrequently associated with subsultus
tendinum, spasmodic contractions, and cramps. These phenomena
are usually localized, and affect by preference the muscles of the
face and those of the lower extremities.

Loss of muscular power, which may pass, little by little, into complete
palsy, also occurs. It is, however, neither constant nor proportionate
to the gravity of the case in other respects. Whilst, as a rule, it is
developed insidiously, it occasionally shows itself with suddenness.
In the latter case it is usually preceded by some acute complication,
and may disappear as quickly as it came. At first it is a mere
feebleness, which, beginning in the fingers, extends to the hands
and arms. It may after a time manifest itself in the feet. More or less
muscular paresis is invariably associated with the tremor above
described.

Alcoholic Paralysis.—The earliest account of alcoholic paralysis is


that of James Jackson,42 who designated the disease, from its most
prominent symptom, arthrodynia. He attributes it to ardent spirits,
and chiefly observed it among women. “This arthrodynia comes on
gradually. It commences with pain in the lower limbs, and especially
in the feet, and afterward extends to the hands and arms. The hands
may be affected first in some instances, but in all cases in the
advanced stage of the disease the pain is more severe in the feet
and hands than in the upper limbs. The pain is excruciating, and
varies in degree at different times. It is accompanied by a distressing
feeling of numbness. After the disease has continued a short time
there take place some contraction of the fingers and toes and
inability to use these parts freely. At length the hands and feet
become nearly useless. The flexor muscles manifest, as in other
diseases, greater power than the extensors, and the whole body
diminishes in size, unless it be the abdomen; but the face does not
exhibit the appearance of emaciation common to many visceral
diseases. The diminution is especially observable in the feet and
hands. At some time the skin of these parts acquires a peculiar
appearance. The same appearance is noticed in a slighter degree in
the skin of other parts. This appearance consists in great
smoothness and shining, with a sort of fineness of the skin. The
integument looks as if tight and stretched, without rugæ or wrinkles
—somewhat as when adjacent parts are swollen. The skin is not
discolored. In this disease there is not any effusion under the skin,
and the character which it assumes arises from some change in the
organ itself.”
42 New England Journal of Medicine and Surgery, vol. xi., 1822, “On a Peculiar
Disease resulting from the Use of Ardent Spirits.”

Since Jackson's day, Huss, Lancereaux, Leudet, and others have


described various forms of paralysis due to alcohol. Wilks43 under
the term alcoholic paraplegia described a form of alcoholic paralysis
of which he had seen numerous cases, especially in women
addicted to alcoholic excesses. The symptoms are severe pain in the
limbs, especially the lower ones, with wasting, numbness,
anæsthesia, only slight power of movement or total inability to stand.
The symptoms are not unlike those of ataxia. Wilks regarded the
disease as due to degeneration of the cord and thickening of the
membranes. Several of the cases terminated in recovery in a
comparatively short time after the abrupt and complete withdrawal of
alcohol. Since that time a number of cases have been reported by
various observers.44
43 Lancet, 1872, vol. i. p. 320.

44 See, in particular, Hun, American Journal of the Medical Sciences, April, 1885,
“Alcoholic Paralysis.” This paper contains a valuable résumé of the reported cases up

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