refuse and poisonous excreta of an animal—and very little, if any, of its real nutritive qualities. But it may be contended that beef tea _does_ benefit sick persons: they really do feel better after taking it! Quite possibly; but this feeling of elation is due to _stimulation_. If the public understood what stimulation really is, they would not urge any sick patient to eat or drink anything that in any way stimulated him; but would on the contrary forbid him to eat or drink anything which affected him in this way! If they understood the _rationale_ of stimulation, they would never urge or suggest that any stimulating food be administered to the patient again. For how do stimulants stimulate? What is the _rationale_ of their “action”? When we see a horse plodding slowly along the street, and the driver suddenly cuts it across the back with his whip, the horse jumps, and reaches the end of the street more quickly than if he had not been so whipped. In such a case, does anyone suppose that any strength has been _imparted_ or _given to_ the horse; or is it not rather that the energy already present in the horse has been forced, and expended a little more quickly? Of course, the latter. In other words, the energy has been extracted _from_ the horse, and not imparted _to_ it. It is the same with all stimulants whatever. In every case, their action is the same. It is not that energy has been imparted to the organism, but rather that it has been abstracted from it—in the process of resisting and expelling the stimulant. Stimulation does not impart strength; it wastes it. Vital power does not go out of the brandy into the patient, but occasions vital power to be exhausted from the patient in expelling the brandy. The system expends its force to get rid of the alcohol, but never derives any force, great or small, good, bad or indifferent, _from_ the alcohol. Stimulants merely occasion the expenditure of strength and energy; they do not impart either _to_ the system.[21] [21] “See pp. 34-44 of my “Vitality, Fasting and Nutrition,” where this question is discussed at length.