EFFECTS OF ALCOHOL ON NERVOUS SYSTEM. 257 



allayed ; and general nervous irritation is composed, if not 

 entirely relieved." 



Cocaine. Cocaine is an alkaloid extract of a shrub 

 native to the Andes. It is much used by the natives for 

 sustenance during long journeys. It is a cerebral stimu- 

 lant, developing a remarkable power of enduring hunger 

 and fatigue. Its effects are similar to those of coffee, but 

 are more intense. Large doses have a narcotic effect and 

 cause hallucinations. Its long-continued use is followed 

 by insomnia, decay of moral and intellectual power, ema- 

 ciation, and death. Locally, it is a powerful anesthetic in 

 a limited area of surface, hence is valuable for minor sur- 

 gical operations. 



Chloral Hydrate. This drug is frequently, but incor- 

 rectly, called chloral. It is a powerful hypnotic, anti- 

 spasmodic, and depressant to the brain and spinal nerve 

 centers, and, to a limited extent, is an anesthetic. It is 

 very useful in fevers accompanied by cerebral excitement, 

 and in convulsions. Its hypnotic effects have led to its 

 use by individuals without a physician's prescription, and 

 often with fatal results. No drugs of this class should be 

 used except under the advice of a physician. 



Chloroform. In a similar way this anesthetic, whose 

 discovery is one of the greatest importance in modern sur- 

 gery, is abused for the sake of its effect on the system, 

 and the hold such a habit gets over the user is similar to 

 that of the alcohol or opium habit. 



The Use of Narcotics. The use of anesthetics and 

 narcotics may all be said to be typified by the use of alco- 

 hol. Not that they are all stimulants, though many of 

 them are, in small doses, or in the earlier stages of their 



