THE NERVOUS SYSTEM 1 39 



forty days. The first thing he ate at the close of his fast 

 was the juice of a ripe watermelon. 



Once some miners were shut in by the caving of a part 

 of a mine. But, unlike the case just described, they were 

 without water as well as food. When, by digging, the 

 rescuers reached them seven days after, several were still 

 found alive, although most of them had died. The miners, 

 no doubt, had nourishment in their bodies for some weeks 

 more of life, but the body lacked water to dissolve it and 

 bring it within the reach of the cells most needing it. 



A Stupendous Fact. — These incidents show how wisely 

 the body is made, and prove that the cells store up nourish- 

 ment for weeks ahead. The large amount of nourishment 

 stored in the human body is one of the most striking and 

 important facts with which the science of physiology has 

 to deal, and it should be borne in mind, or we may make 

 great mistakes about some very simple matters and espe- 

 cially in regard to the effects of stimulants. 



Foolish Rashness. — Did you ever get so tired that you 

 had to give up and stop, however much you would have 

 liked to continue at work or play ? To rest was the wise 

 thing to do. Because you know there is much energy 

 stored in the body, this need not tempt you to go on 

 until you almost break down. Probably you know people 

 who are conceited about their bodies and say they are "made 

 of cast iron " ; that nothing can hurt them. Such conceit 

 will be almost sure to get its possessor into trouble. 



How a Safeguard may be broken down. — It is a very 

 wise arrangement that, under ordinary conditions, we can- 

 not get at the surplus energy we have. Carbon dioxid and 

 other wastes accumulate in the tissues and paralyze the 

 nerves. Fatigue and other feelings compel us to be provi- 

 dent, as it were ; yet stimulants and narcotics, by irritating 



