With a voice-over narration, this Encyclopedia Britannica film begins with a look at the chemistry of alcohol, the differences among beer, wine, and spirits, and the way the body processes it. When intake exceeds the liver's ability to oxidize alcohol, effects on the brain mount: using animated drawings, we see alcohol's effect first on the cerebrum then the cerebellum. Impaired motor control and eyesight is followed by unconsciousness then a slow recovery. The film ends with discussions of malnutrition and of alcoholism and its treatment.