Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1858-05-28

mental condition Of American young men has
long furnished an ample theme for the moral
ist and Psychologist; but for reason not very
creditabe to his heart or his head the prac-
tical physician and surgeon has for the most
part held bis peace. IL would have been
much more creditable TO the "American Med
ical Association if, instead of their silly
discussions of medical ethics, and other wor-
| dy absurdiuos, and their quarrcls about cut
ting out jawbones, they had given our young
men a correct idea Of the actual power Of this
| giant enemy to destroy their manly character,
and debase and stupeiy their minds and boz
dies As we are not trammelled by the fear
Of the frowns Of our dear brethren, nor the
loss Of patronage we propose to give our
readers the results of our observation Of its
power over the organism, during twenty-five
| years of practical observation of the young
men of this city
/ No man likes to hear his follics held up TO
/ public view We, therefore, expect for this
service full measure Of abuse. We roceiv-
| cd an ample return of that kind for the article
on Lager Bier for which we are duly thank
/ full a cotcmporary says we 'would rather be
in minority than a majority truth to say,
/ we plead guilty for most Of our profession
arc accustomed TO speak so charity Of the
vices Of their patients in consequence Of
/ their profound reverence for their pockets,
that we have imbibed a great disgust for
them we take comfort from the conviction
that VIC shall be soundly abused by large
class of our tobacco-smittcn ellowctizens,
and approved by at least majority
Lot as attempt to give tobacco its actual
| position as an agent amongst the catalogue
of articles we take into our much-abusod
mouths. 1t is neither food nor drink-that's
clear lagcr-ber, bad as it is, is in one sense
food, because it supplies material for feeding
the lungs. Without its use tho body would
demand that its victims should eat more, or
else grow thin by the absorption Of their fat
and muscle to supply material for combus-
tion for the lungs are like a stove - they
must be supplied with fuel, or the fire will
go out.
Tobacco is a great demander Of drink, be-
cause it constantly robs the body Of its fluids
by cxpectoration. Lagcr-bicr supplies fluid
at least. although it is deposited about the
system in form very much like beer-barrel,
and gives its votarics a great deal Of trouble
to puff it away, and rid themselves of it by
other unseomly and inopportune processes
What, then. is tobacco, Why, simply a
narcotic-that is (see the dictionary. "a stu
+ u
energy |" If any man disputes this and as
scrt that he finds himself more capable of in
tcloctua or muscular effort. when he has a
quid in his mouth, we congratulate him on
his improved astuteness we may betray our
own want Of the precious intellectual quick
ener. but we will venture the question How
much did it sharpen your logic-chopper when
You took the first quid; And how majesti-
If,. 4 L. ,tb,
first felt its full effect;
Every one must remember the first effect of
tobacco. Nausea, rcrtigo, uomiting, and re-
laraiion Of be entire muscular system arc its
invariablc effects and if continued, relaxa-
ton of all the sphincter or closing muscles Of
the hollow visccra, bowels bladder. and stom-
ach. This result is sometimes sought for by
the surgeon, and produced by injecting an in
fusion Of tobacco into the bowels, in cases Of
obstinate constipation, or for relaxing the
grip of the openings in the abdomen, when
the bowel slips through them in those who
have rupture. We have seen the conse-
qucnces in our own practice so awfully from
a very weak injection, which We administered
to avoid the necessity Of operating by the
knife, that we resolved never to use it again
Now. the reader will please to remember
that all the symptoms he first experiences
from tobacco, are the invaridble results upon
natural or healthy condition of the body ;
and if he succeeded, by perseverance in its
use, in overcoming the immediate consequent
ccs, it is only because the alarmed and abus-
cd nerves have summoned the forces of youth
tul vigor TO bear the invasion as long as pos
sihlc before they capitulate. Breath, food,
and drink are the means of resistance, and
the bosotted youth soon discovers that the
quontity of the latter must be increased, and
its quality strengthened. if he would resist
the invader and continue to perform his ordi-
nary duties without showing plainly his in
capacity to stand upon his legs Thus it is
that tobacco, either used by smoking or chew
ing, is the direct Introduction to drunkenness.
Our remarks apply in much more iorciblo
manner to smoking than to chewing. Some
people arc SO silly as to suppose, because
they do not spit whilst smoking, that the oil
of tobacco, which contains deadly nicotine
equally deadly and almost as rapid in its ac-
tion as strychnne) is volatilized, and circu-
latcs with the smoke through the delicate lin
ing membrane of the mouth at each Whit of
the cigar, and is absorbed by the extensive
continuation of this membrane that lines the
nostrils, and acts upon the whole body. The
smoke of tobacco is indeed much moro rapid
in its Supplying effect, as every prolcsscd
smoker knows: it is usually called "sooth-
ing" by its votaries but this is, of COURSE
only the first stage Of stupehction; it acts
precisely as opium or other narcotics do
Moreover the reader will observe that the
older physicians used to throw the smoke of
tobacco into the intcstnes. when they sought
its terribly relaxing effects on the body in
rupture or constipation Of the bowels, or for
reducing dislocation Nicotine was the awful
agent chosen by Bocarme for poisoning his
/ brother-n-law, because ii killed and ief no
! sign whereby to convict him. AT each Whit
| of smoke, it is known that good portion of
large drop of the oil of tobacco crculates
! through the mouth we have often seen it
/ blown out of the mouth and condensed on the
thumb nail, by men who had the ability to
contract the lips to an opening sufficiently
small for that purpose. Five drops of the
oil of tobacco will kill large dog The
throat often becomes excessively dry and ir-
ritable in smokers, and there is a morbid
thirst produced that greatly debilitatos diges-
tion, by diluting too much the fluids of the
stomach - robbed, also, of its healthy saliva
by the splitting.