The weekly Ottumwa courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1857-1872, 1857-01-01
Condensed from the Scaipel,
TOBACCO.

p
The influence Of tobacco on the body end
mental condition Of American young men, has
Hong furnished an ample theme for the moral
ist and Psychologist; but for reasons not very
creditable to his heart or his head, the practi-
cal physician an3 surgeon has, for the most
+ What istobacco? Why, simply narcotic
lie (see dictionary "a stupeier--a dead
ner to nervous and muscular energyp So far
arewe from doubling Its power over the moral
and physical welfare Of the race, that we have
not doubt that it has infinitely more to do
with the physical imperfection and early death
lof the children of its votaries, than its great
associate, drunkenness itself. The local sur
gical and medical trca ment mos: effective in
these cases. proves concus;ve,y that il is to the
debilitating and exausting influence Of tobac-
co, that these sad consequences are due.
Both smoking and chewing produce marked
alterations in the most expressive features of
the face. The lips are Closed by powerful
circular muscle, which completely surrounds
| Them and for,us their pulpv fullness Now
every muscle Of the body is developed in pre-
else ratio with its use, as most young men
know-they endeavort to develope and increase
their muscls in the gymnasium. In splitting
rpcn, and holding the cigar in the mouth this
muscle is in constant use hence the coarse ape
pearance and irregular development of the lips.
when compared to the rest of the features, in
chewcrs and smokers. The eye loses its natu-
/ Era a,.I ALL =. - =
appreciative; it answers not before the word;
its owner gazes yacantly, and often repels con-
| versation by its stupidity.
| The foulness of the breath In most chewers
and smokers proves posi- lively that the Ill Of
tobacco, with all its deadly powers, is carried
into the blood and prevades the whole system;
it could not be continually thrown out from the
lungs il it did not thus reach the air-cells and
windplp,; it is thrown ont fromthere with the
poisonous corbonic acid. Some persons abb
sorb the paison more freely than others. We
have seen paralysis Of both the upper and low
er eAtremiti-s in men scarcely past middle age.
A person who is saturated with tobacco, or
tobacco poisoned, acquires sodden or dirty
yellow hue;a couple Of his breaths will scent
alarse room; you may nose him before he takes
his seat OF this he is entirely unconcious;he
will give you the full force Of his lungs, and
for the most part such people hrve a great de-
sire to approach and annoy you. We have
beenfollowed rounI alarge office able by them,
backing continually to escape the nuisance, till
We had made arevolution or two before our
motive was perceived.
| In eating, the tobacco-chewer must loose all
delicate appreciation of hayor; we have OBJ
served, indeed, that he is easily satisfied by the
filthy Irish cookery, and greasy and cold mea.
and vegetables of the hotel o. boarding house,
ne seasons his food very highly, because of his
! obtuse taste; many of these upf rtunates drink
raw brandy forsthe same reason eassE
The tobecco-chewer rarely eats raw oys-
ter, preferring it fried, and coated over with
grease aud its empyreuma;if il he takes il raw,
he tortures the poor creature with pepper and
vinegar. and sticks fork in il; he cannot elicit
i, gently from hlspear.y prison with his ips--
they are clnmsey and half paralysed. ~
Finally,an worse than all, he ceases to ap-
preciate the chaste salute from the rosy lip Of
love. and il the mistress of his blunt affections
should permit him to approach her cheek, it can
only be with pent-a2 breath and avert eye di-
rected toward his pocket--the only attraction
a beautiful woman can have for a tobacco
| chewer. If there be vice more prostrating
to the body and mind, and more crucifying to
all the sympathies Of mans spiritual nature,
we have yet to be convinced VI it. 8