CHAPTER IX. 



STIMULANTS. 



1. What is Meant by a Stimulant. In general a stimu- 

 lant is something that does not nourish the body, but 

 stirs it or one or more of its organs to do work. Thus 

 we say that a man is stimulated to labor by the desire 

 to make his family comfortable; or a lad to hard study 

 by the wish to get to the head of his class; or to the use 

 of his muscles to their utmost power, by the ambition to 

 win a race. Some stimulus to exertion is useful: with- 

 out it most of us would be slothful and ignorant and 

 stupid. On the other hand, our bodies may be stimu- 

 lated to attempt more than they can safely accomplish. 

 Many a man breaks down from too severe labor, and 

 boys and girls at school sometimes injure their health 

 by overstudy, stimulated by the ambition to excel. 



2. Foods as Stimulants. Several common articles of 

 diet are named stimulants, because their action is rather 

 to excite the brain, or the heart, or the muscles, or the 

 stomach to greater activity, for a time, or to decrease the 

 feeling of fatigue after labor, than to nourish any organ. 

 Some of these stimulants, as pepper, which makes many 



1. What is meant by a stimulant? Illustrate. Why is some stim- 

 ulus useful? How may it be an evil ? 



2. Why are several common articles of diet called stimulants? 

 What is said of their different effects? Of those who need not even 

 the least injurious ? 



