ibited in the United States and
other countries. But during the war, on account of the shortage of
sugar, it came again into use. The European governments encouraged what
they formerly tried to prevent, and it became customary in Germany or
Italy to carry about a package of saccharin tablets in the pocket and
drop one or two into the tea or coffee. Such reversals of administrative
attitude are not uncommon. When the use of hops in beer was new it was
prohibited by British law. But hops became customary nevertheless and
now the law requires hops to be used in beer. When workingmen first
wanted to form unions, laws were passed to prevent them. But now, in
Australia for instance, the laws require workingmen to form unions.
Governments naturally tend to a conservative reaction against anything
new.

It is amusing to turn back to the pure food agitation of ten years ago
and read the sensational articles in the newspapers about the poisonous
nature of this dangerous drug, saccharin, in view of the fact that it is
being used by millions of people in Europe in amounts greater than once
seemed to upset the tender stomachs of the Washington "poison squads."
But saccharin does not appear to be responsible for any fatalities yet,
though people are said to be heartily sick of it. And well they may be,
for it is not a substitute for sugar except to the sense of taste.
Glucose may correctly be called a substitute for sucrose as margarin for
butter, since they not only taste much the same but have about the same
food value. But to serve saccharin in the place of sugar is like giving
a rubber bone to a dog. It is reported from Europe that the constant use
of saccharin gives one eventually a distaste for all sweets. This is
quite likely, although it means the reversal within a few years of
prehistoric food habits. Mankind has always associated sweetness with
food value, for there are few sweet things found in nature except the
sugars. We think we eat sugar because it is sweet. But we do not. We eat
it because it is good for us. The reason it tastes sweet to us is
because it is good for us. So man makes a virtue out of necessity, a
pleasure out of duty, which is the essence of ethics.

In the ancient days of Ind the great Raja Trishanku possessed an earthly
paradise that had been constructed for his delectation by a magician.
Therein grew all manner of beautiful flowers, savory herbs and delicious
fruits such as had never been known befo