acco, makes people pale and sickly. Once I went
into a snuff mill, and the man who had the care of it showed me how the
work was done.

The mill stood in a pretty place, beside a little stream which turned
the mill-wheel. Tall trees bent over it, and a fresh breeze was blowing
through the open windows. Yet the smell of the tobacco was so strong
that I had to go to the door many times, for a breath of pure air.

I asked the man if it did not make him sick to work there.

He said: "It made me very sick for the first few weeks. Then I began to
get used to it, and now I don't mind it."

He was like the boys who try to learn to smoke. It almost always makes
them sick at first; but they think it will be manly to keep on. At last,
they get used to it.

The sickness is really the way in which the boy's body is trying to say
to him: "There is danger here; you are playing with poison. Let me stop
you before great harm is done."

Perhaps you will say: "I have seen men smoke cigars, even four or five
in a day, and it didn't kill them."

It did not kill them, because they did not swallow the nicotine. They
only drew in a little with the breath. But taking a little poison in
this way, day after day, can not be safe, or really helpful to any one.

REVIEW QUESTIONS.

1. What did the farmer plant instead of corn,
wheat, and potatoes?

2. What was done with the tobacco leaves?

3. What is the name of the poison which is in
tobacco?

4. How much of it is needed to kill a dog?

5. What harm can the nicotine in one cigar do, if
taken pure?

6. Tell the story of the visit to the snuff mill.

7. Why are boys made sick by their first use of
tobacco?

8. Why does not smoking a cigar kill a man?

9. What is said about a little poison?

CHAPTER IX.

OPIUM.

[Illustration: A]LCOHOL and tobacco are called narcotics (nar
k[)o]t'iks). This means that they have the power of putting the nerves
to sleep. Opium ([=o]'p[)i] [)u]m) is another narcotic.

It is a poison made from the juice of poppies, and is used in medicines.

Opium is put into soothing-syrups (s[)i]r'[)u]ps), and these are
sometimes given to babies to keep them from crying. They do this by
injuring the tender nerves and poisoning the little body.

How can any one give a baby opium to save taking patient care of it?

Sure