on and hence attempt to doctor
themselves.

Catarrh is a very prevalent disease in America, and consequently
numerous catarrh remedies have been devised, most of which contain in
a disguised form the pernicious drug, cocaine. Laws have been enacted
which require on the labels a declaration of the contents of the
preparation, both as to the kind of drug used and the amount, and the
choice of accepting or refusing such mixtures is left to the
individual. But the great mass of people are ignorant of the harmful
nature of drugs in general, and hence do not even read the
self-accusing label, or if they do glance at it, fail to comprehend
the dangerous nature of the drugs specified there. In order to
safeguard the uninformed purchaser and to restrict the manufacture of
harmful patent remedies, some states limit the sale of all
preparations containing narcotics and thus give free rein to neither
consumer nor producer.

241. Soothing Sirups; Soft Drinks. The development of a race is
limited by the mental and physical growth of its children, and yet
thousands of its children are annually stunted and weakened by drugs,
because most colic cures, teething concoctions, and soothing syrups
are merely agreeably flavored drug mixtures. Those who have used such
preparations freely, know that a child usually becomes fretful and
irritable between doses, and can be quieted only by larger and more
frequent supplies. A habit formed in this way is difficult to
overcome, and many a child when scarcely over its babyhood had a
craving which in later years may lead to systematic drug taking. And
even though the pernicious drug craving is not created, considerable
harm is done to the child, because its body is left weak and
non-resistant to diseases of infancy and childhood.

Many of our soft drinks contain narcotics. The use of the coca leaf
and the kola nut for such preparations has increased very greatly
within the last few years, and doubtless legislation will soon be
instituted against the indiscriminate sale of soft drinks.

242. Headache Powders. The stress and strain of modern life has
opened wide the door to a multitude of bodily ills, among which may be
mentioned headache. Work must be done and business attended to, and
the average sufferer does not take time from his vocation to
investigate the cause of the headache, but unthinkingly grasps at any
remedy which will remove the immediate pain, and utterly disregards
later injury. Th