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which are also chemical molecules. If the temperature of the
organism rises, the enzymes work more rapidly, until at some
temperature, the heat begins to disrupt the enzyme and it no longer
functions. On the other hand, as the temperature cools, the speed of
the reaction slows down, until at some temperature, it will cease.

The brain must monitor the body's temperature to maintain it within
the range where the vital chemical reactions will continue. It must be
able to lose heat when the internal temperature climbs, and it must
conserve and generate heat when it falls. The same is true for acid-
base balance, oxygen supply and a whole host of critical parameters
that are the essence of life on our planet. Wide swings of these factors
cannot be tolerated. They must be detected and adjusted back to
within the life-sustaining limits.

When a large amount of heroin is injected into the blood stream, it
stimulates a delicate system that has evolved to deal with gentle
oscillations that might be compared to the ebb and flow of waves at
the edge of a quiet sea. After the first injection, the system is
suddenly engulfed by a virtual tsunami of chemical energy that is
beyond anything previously experienced. So while the person is
experiencing the high, the brain is frantically attempting to restore a
balance that is compatible with continued life.

Moreover, it is also beginning to erect a chemical defense system that
will prevent such a catastrophe in the future. The heroin is removed
by the liver and kidneys and life goes on, but the brain is now more
vigilant. On subsequent injections, the brain will oppose the effects of
the heroin with a chemical counterbalance, so that the person will
experience a diminished high. The usual pattern is that the person
will find that they have to inject ever-increasing amounts of heroin and
experience ever-decreasing rapture. This phenomenon is known as
"tolerance," and it is common to all opiates.

But there is a more serious, ironic consequence to this battle between
the brain and the injections. After the dose is injected, the process of
metabolic transformation and elimination of the heroin begins. But
the defense system has chemical "weight" that is balanced by the