CHAPTER XXVI 

 STIMULANTS AND NARCOTICS 



Definition. Aside from the ravages of disease, one 

 of the greatest dangers to human health is the use of 

 certain substances which are not required by the body 

 as food but are taken solely because of the pleasure 

 which they give. These substances are known as stimu- 

 lants and narcotics because they either produce a feel- 

 ing of increased vigor, or partial or complete insensi- 

 bility. The stimulants most commonly used are alco- 

 holic beverages, tea and coffee. The narcotics are the 

 various preparations of opium with its most important 

 derivative morphine, and chloral, cocaine, tobacco and 

 chloroform. 



Proper use of narcotics. Many of the narcotics, such 

 as morphine, chloral and cocaine, have long been recog- 

 nized as having valuable medicinal properties when 

 given to weak and suffering persons by a cautious phy- 

 sician who fully recognizes their dangers. They are 

 then used for a short time only to tide over an emer- 

 gency. Their use is distinctly the choice of the lesser 

 evil, since, although their after-effects are known to be 

 injurious, yet they are not so injurious as the condi- 

 tion which they correct. For example, a person in in- 

 tense pain would be injured more by sleeplessness and 

 exhaustion than by the after-effects of the narcotic, 

 which, by dulling the pain, brought sleep. In all such 

 cases, however, these substances must be used with ex- 



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