Category Archives: WHAT?
252.WHAT IS “DOPE”?
Today, unfortunately, we often read and hear about “dope” addicts, and their addiction problem is of great concern to our society.
“Dope” is a slang term for “narcotics.” Narcotics are habit-forming drugs which lessen pain and cause drowsiness. They give a temporary feeling of wellbeing which is called “narcosis.” Some narcotics are very useful, but they must all be used only when given by a physician!
251.WHAT IS CAFFEINE?
Nowadays it is possible to buy “de-caffeinated” coffee, and millions of people drink this rather than “regular” coffee. What is caffeine, and why do some people try to avoid it?
The roasted coffee bean is so full of different substances that science has not yet detected all of them. But the best known substance in the bean is caffeine. It is a stimulant and is chemically related to uric acid. caffeine Is not found in a free state, but combined with acids. The coffee bean contains about one per cent caffeine.
250.WHAT IS AN ANTIDOTE?
Nobody ever needs an antidote unless he has been poisoned. An antidote by itself has no meaning. It is a substance which prevents the action of a poison. And a poison is any substance which produces harmful or deadly effects on living tissue.
There are basically four kinds of poisons, divided according to the way they affect the body. Corrosive poisons (like strong acids) destroy tissues locally. Irritant poisons produce congestion of the organ with which they come in contact. The next kind of poison, neurotoxins, affect the nerves within the cell. And finally, the hemotoxins combine with the blood and prevent oxygen from forming hemoglobin. Carbon monoxide (such as comes from the exhaust of an automobile) is a hemotoxin. It causes death because the blood is deprived of oxygen that nourishes the tissues and brain.
