66 HUMAN BIOLOGY 



excess, it exerts a harmful influence upon the nervous sys- 

 tem, and in a too strong form injures the digestive organs." 

 The foregoing remarks, quoted from Harrington's " Practi- 

 cal Hygiene," apply to adults rather than to growing chil- 

 dren and youths; for in early life stimulants of every kind 

 should be avoided as much as possible, as they tend to 

 interfere with the healthful development of the body. We 

 should remember that tea and coffee are not foods, and so 

 cannot be of use in repair or growth of tissue, both of which 

 functions are of prime importance during the first twenty 

 years of life. The habitual use of these beverages, especially 

 at breakfast, is also hkely to decrease the desire for the 

 food that is needed. 



82. Chocolate, cocoa, and soda water. — While it is true 

 that cocoa and chocolate both contain a considerable amount 

 of nutriment when eaten in solid form, when prepared as a 

 beverage, the small amount so used makes its food value 

 relatively unimportant unless milk is used. Chocolate and 

 cocoa contain a certain amount of a stimulant similar to 

 that found in tea and coffee. Since the sirups and ice cream 

 used in the preparation of soda water contain a considerable 

 amount of sugar, these drinks should not be taken habit- 

 ually between meals, because they tend to impair digestion 

 and to lessen the appetite at meal time (75). 



83. Alcoholic beverages. — " In the case of an alcoholic 

 beverage we have to deal with something which, like tea 

 and coffee and cocoa and 'temperance drinks' is used as a 

 beverage, and to that extent must be classed in the same 

 group. Alcoholic drinks are, however, taken as stimulants, 

 and so resemble tea and coffee and cocoa; but they differ 

 from all these in their action upon the body. Moreover, 

 their abuse gives rise not only to degraded moral and social 



