244 OUR BODIES AND HOW WE LIVE 



cannot sleep ; with it, his digestion is sadly out of order. 

 He suffers from dyspepsia, shortness of breath, and palpi- 

 tation of the heart. The only safe rule is, never to touch 

 so powerful, uncertain, and dangerous a drug. 



334. Other Powerful Drugs and Narcotics. Chloroform, 

 ether, cocaine, and other narcotics should never be used, 

 even in the smallest doses, except under medical advice. 

 They are dangerous agents at all times, and are used with 

 great caution, even by physicians. Persons who get into 

 the habit of tampering with such powerful drugs run the 

 ever-present risk of killing themselves by an overdose. 



335. Some Other Dangerous Drugs. Since the far- 

 reaching epidemic known as influenza, or la grippe, or 

 "grip," has made such sad havoc in recent years with the 

 lives and health of the people, a new class of powerful 

 drugs has come into popular use. These remedies are 

 too dangerous and uncertain for household use. 



The drugs sold as " headache " remedies should be let 

 severely alone. If a person has a headache, it is better to 

 find the cause, so that it may be avoided in future, than to 

 continue the wrong living that brings on the headache and 

 then try to relieve it by the use of harmful drugs. 



Kola and coca are drugs now widely advertised as harm- 

 less and as nerve restorers. This is not true. Any feeling 

 of restoration which these drugs may at first produce is a 

 delusion that must be paid for afterward by feelings of lassi- 

 tude and weakness. Nature alone holds the magic cordials 

 which really have power to restore lost strength or vigor. 

 Her prescriptions are rest, food, pure air, sunlight, and a 

 cheerful mind. 



