INTEMPERANCE AND POISONS 39 



him feel well while he is slowly killing himself. This 

 power of strong drink to deceive a person into using it 

 while it is slowly harming him makes it the worst form of 

 intemperance. It affects every part of the body. These 

 effects will be described fully as we study the different 

 parts of the body. 



69. Tobacco intemperance. Next to using strong drink, 

 the use of tobacco is the most harmful form of intemper- 

 ance. It does not always do so much harm as strong drink, 

 for it usually acts so slowly that we do not notice its effects. 

 Like strong drink, it makes a person feel well while it 

 slowly poisons him. It often does great harm to different 

 parts of the body. These effects will be described as we 

 study each part. 



70. Sickness. When each cell of our body does its 

 work perfectly, and when all the cells work together, we 

 are well and healthy. When one set of cells is out of 

 order, it affects all the others, arid we are sick. Thus, if 

 the cells of the stomach fail to digest food, all the cells 

 lack food, and so the stomach makes the whole body feel 

 sick. The doctor then comes to see what was out of order 

 first, and tries to correct its action so that we may be well 

 again. 



71. Drugs. When a person is sick, the doctor often 

 gives him substances which are called drugs. They are 

 not food, and even if they were, they are in too small 

 amounts to furnish much nourishment. In the stomach 

 and intestine they are taken up with the food, and are 

 carried by the blood to the cells of the body. There they 

 cause the cells to act in a more natural manner. When 

 the cells finally act as usual, we are well again. For in- 

 stance, in a bilious attack, the doctor gives a pill or powder, 

 which is taken up by the blood and carried to the liver. 



