398 GENERAL SCIENCE 



People who are sick or who imagine an ailment are usually 

 quite gullible in the matter of patent medicines. A col- 

 lection of articles published under the title of The Great 

 American Fraud, by the American Medical Association, 

 which deals with this subject, may be read with profit by 

 any one. 



Tobacco. A narcotic has been defined as a sub- 

 stance " which directly induces sleep, blunts the senses, 

 and, in large amounts, produces complete insensibility." 

 Tobacco, opium, and cocaine are narcotics. Tobacco 

 contains a strong poison known as nicotine. A few 

 drops of pure nicotine would be sufficient to cause the 

 death of an adult by its action upon the nervous system. 

 The effects of tobacco are more marked on young people 

 than on adults. The evidence is quite conclusive that 

 the use of tobacco affects the heart action and retards 

 muscular development: The boys who are habitual 

 smokers of cigarettes average smaller in size than the 

 non-smokers, and they average lower in their studies. 

 The cigarette habit seriously handicaps a boy in his search 

 for honors in scholarship, athletics, or business. 



Purchase of Food. --When we consider that in the 

 United States we annually spend about $15,000,000,000 

 for food, the importance of proper marketing is impressed 

 upon us. Every one should know something of the 

 science of purchasing food, since such a large proportion 

 of the total income is expended for food and since so 

 much of health and happiness depends upon a proper 

 dietary. 



It is a great mistake to suppose that you always get 

 the best when you pay the highest price. Fruits are 

 best and cheapest in season. A little study of different 

 fruits will enable one to have a variety of the best avail- 



