DRUGS AND POISONS 149 



nervous or delirious, chloral or bromide of potash will quiet the cells. 

 These are a few examples of the actions of drugs which physicians 

 prescribe. 



253. Quack medicines. Drugs should never be given except 

 by a physician. The country is flooded with medicines advertised to 

 cure various diseases. People who take them generally get well, but 

 they forget that the cells of the body themselves tend to overcome all 

 diseases, and that in all probability they had no disease at all, but were 

 only feeling bad because of improper eating, or of overwork. 



254. Poisons. All narcotics and drugs are poisons and 

 cause sickness or death when taken in overdoses. The 

 signs of poisoning are much alike in all cases. A person 

 previously well suddenly feels very sick and weak, or be- 

 comes unconscious. Vomiting often occurs, and pain is 

 often present. 



255. Treatment of poisoning. The first thing to do 

 whenever a poison is swallowed is to empty 'the stomach 

 as quickly as possible. Almost anybody can be made to 

 vomit by tickling the throat with a finger, or with a feather 

 passed through the nose if the mouth cannot be opened. 

 A tablespoonful of mustard in a cup of warm water will 

 generally cause vomiting and is always safe. A teaspoon- 

 f ul of alum in water will act in the same way. Water or 

 soft food of any kind should then be swallowed and vomit- 

 ing continued, so as to remove all traces of the poison. 



The second thing is to give castor oil or salts, so as to 

 remove any poison which may have entered the intestine. 



The third thing is to give something, called an antidote, 

 which will destroy the poison in the body. 



The fourth thing is to give a stimulant, for the person 

 will be very weak. Strong coffee should be given by the 

 cupful, without sugar or milk. 



256. Poisoning by acids or alkalies. If the lips and 

 mouth are covered with a white film or are raw, some 



