CHAPTER XVI 

 NARCOTICS 



226. What man eats besides food. Besides eating food 

 and harmless things which please the taste, man also eats 

 a variety of dangerous substances, both for pleasure and 

 to overcome some real or fancied weakness of the body. 

 The physician prescribes them to overcome diseases of 

 the cells, but thoughtless and ignorant people use them on 

 their own responsibility, and suffer great harm thereby. 

 They may be divided into narcotics, drugs, and poisons. 



227. Narcotics. There is a class of drugs which be- 

 numb the sense of pain and fatigue and lessen the action 

 and strength of the cells of the body. These drugs are 

 called narcotics. They all are powerful poisons. They 

 lessen the sense of effort and of fatigue, and are often 

 supposed to be stimulants. A peculiarity common to all 

 is, that when their benumbing effects have passed off, the 

 real weakness of the body becomes doubly apparent, and 

 there is an overwhelming desire for more of the drug to 

 benumb the increased weakness caused by the first dose. 

 Thus enslaving habits are formed. 



228. Alcohol as a narcotic. Alcohol should be classed as 

 a narcotic drug. It really belongs to the class of stimulants as well. 

 A small amount acts as a stimulant ; but a large amount overwhelms 

 the body and produces an insensibility to pain and fatigue, a dullness of 

 mind, and a deep sleep. The use of alcohol tends to become a fixed 

 habit, as is the case with other narcotics. 



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