294 



FOODS AND DIETARIES 



effect of nicotine upon a fish, one of the vertebrate animals. 

 Nicotine in a pure form is so powerful a poison that two or three 

 drops would be sufficient to cause the death of a man by its 

 action upon the nervous system, especially the nerves controlling 

 the beating of the heart. This action is well known among boys 

 training for athletic contests. The heart is affected ; boys become 

 ^' short-winded " as a result of the action on the heart. It has 

 been demonstrated that tobacco has, too, an important effect on 

 muscular development. The stunted appearance of the young 

 smoker is well known. 



Use and Abuse of Drugs. — The American people are addicted 

 to the use of drugs, and especially patent medicines. A glance at 



The amounts of alcohol in some liquors and in some patent medicines. 

 a, beer, 5 % ; b, claret, 8 % ; c, champagne, 9 % ; d, whisky, 50 % ; 

 e, well-known sarsaparilla, 18 % ; /, g, h, much-advertised nerve tonics, 

 20 %, 21 %, 25 % ; i, another much-advertised sarsaparilla, 27 %; 

 y, a well-known tonic, 28 % ; k, I, bitters, 37 %, 44 % alcohol. 



the street-car advertisements shows this. Most of the medicines 

 advertised contain alcohol in greater quantity than beer or wine, 

 and many of them have opium, morphine, or cocaine in their 

 composition. Paregoric and laudanum, medicines sometimes given 

 to young children, are examples of dangerous drugs that contain 

 opium. Dr. George D. Haggard of Minneapohs has shown 



