ALCOHOLIC BEVERACiES AND STIMULANTS 161 



overstimulation is not to be feared. On the contraiy, the 

 flavoring matter by its presence greatly helps the digestion 

 of the nutritive; substances in the food. These natural flavors 

 of foods, as we may call them, are generally all that ]x>rsons 

 in good health require. Artificial flavors, as we may call the 

 various aromatics added to food, may occasionally be used 

 advantageously and with comparative safety to impart to 

 insipid nutrients mild flavors similar to those of natural 

 foods. Strongly stimulating beverages, however, such as 

 tea, coffee, and alcoholic drinks are seldom necessary to 

 health, and are often injurious to adults, while to young 

 people they are frequently a source of lasting evils. The use 

 of substances which act so powerfully on the nervous system 

 should be regulated b}' the advice of one's physician. 



The effect of artificial stimulants on the human body is 

 much like that of a whip on a horse. We know it to be foolish 

 and cruel to whip a colt, and it may ruin his chances of ever 

 becoming a good hors<\ It is almost as foolish and may be 

 dangerous to whip a willing horse, although a sluggish horse 

 may need a touch of the whip occasionally to keep him up to 

 his work; and emergencies sometimes arise when a horse 

 must be vigorously' whipped to ol)tain his utmost speed at any 

 risk. So to a health}^ child artificial stimulants other than 

 the mildest are un(|uestionably pernicious; to a healthy 

 adult they are unnecessary and generally harmful; to persons 

 out of health, sometimes beneficial and sometimes injurious; 

 while on rare occasions they are regarded by many physicians 

 as a necessity for saving life. In such times of special need, 

 however, stimulants are useful to a person only in so far as 

 he has not previously bj- overuse deprived them of their 

 power. It often happens that an intemperate person dies 

 when a person who had always been temperate would be 

 saved by the stimulant upon which the physician is de- 

 pending. 



