138 APPLIED PHYSIOLOGY 



269. Tea and coffee. Many persons who use tea and 

 coffee do not feel well without them. They stimulate the 

 brain to greater exertion ; but when their use is stopped 

 the brain feels its weariness. Then another cup is needed, 

 and so a habit of their use is formed. They often produce 

 headaches and disordered stomachs, and so their habitual 

 use weakens the whole body, including the brain. They 

 often produce nervousness and sleeplessness. They should 

 be regarded as drugs and not as food. Young people 

 especially are easily harmed by their use. 



270. Tobacco. Men use tobacco to quiet their brains. 

 When they are alone they use it for company, to keep 

 from thinking, but when they are with others they use it 

 because the rest do. On the other hand, some men use 

 tobacco to make themselves think. Now, it cannot do 

 both of these things. In reality, it does not increase the 

 power of the brain, for it is a poison. Some men seem to 

 stand tobacco with but little harm, but no one can use it 

 and have the best brain. 



271. Tobacco and drink. Some people think that 

 tobacco quiets a person's brain when he has been drink- 

 ing. This is because tobacco lessens the overaction of 

 the brain which alcohol at first produces. On the other 

 hand, a little alcohol seems to make the tobacco user feel 

 stronger, and to relieve his thirst caused by tobacco. So 

 tobacco and alcohol naturally go together. A drinker 

 almost always uses tobacco, for its poison seems to relieve 

 the poison of alcohol ; but it only seems to do so, for in 

 reality it makes a person want more drink. 



272. Waste from tobacco. Like strong drink, the use 

 of tobacco is extremely wasteful. In the United States 

 half as much is spent for tobacco as for strong drink. 

 The land upon which it is grown is not only prevented 



