Mineral Point weekly tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1859-1868, 1859-02-01
TOBACCO,

/ co ludti III all the animal kingdom, but
two animals. aside from man, have been
discovered which will taste it the tobac-
CO worm OF the South, whose inlolera bic
! yisage Is disgusting, and the rock goat
| Of Africa. he goat is thought by one
wl1ser 10 possess a bodily flavor which
prepares II for association with those who
create on themselves the tobacco stencil.
The smell of this goat is so terrible thai
no other dumb animal will ever associate
with It. The very atmosphere for a dis
tance around is tainted with his effiuvia
his whole visage is said to be disgusting
| The tobacco user is said 10 become so
picked with tobacco, that cannibals de-
tect 1t IN the flesh of those who have
used 1t, and throw that flesh away as un-
lit TO use II is immaterial how tobacco
Is used, whether II be by smoking, chew
ing, snuttIns or dipping, the effects are
similar. AS the reader may not under
stand what is meant by the latter prac-
tIce, | viii explain it. Some years ago,
while soJournlng in a Southern State,
frequently noticed ladies with one end OF
a small stick in their mouth lady one
day asked me If | thought dipping IN
Jured the teeth dipping, said /, what
do yOu mean by dipping She laughed
heartily at my ignorance, and then very
graclousiy went on TO explain the mystery
OF the small stick, which she exhibited
10 me. The stick, about as large as a
small pipe stem, is split or croomed up al
one end this is dipped into box of snuff,
and is then rubbed against the teeth and
held In the mouth. | must confess that
was SO ungallant as to tell the lady, that
thought If the practice was not very in
curious 10 the teeth, II was at least very
filthy.
When tobacco is brought, by any of
these methods, in contact with the living
structures of the body, the poisonous
Juice IS absorbed, enters the circulation,
and passes throughout the whole system,
even TO the delicate structures of the
brain and nervous system. 1t excites
directly the various animal propensitles
beyond their proper balance, and tends
TO detase the moral character, and TO
make man more animal, and less intel
lectual and moral. 1t therefore tends to
destroy both body and soul. But | fancy
hear some of you say, my father used
tobacco for many years; and died an old
man, If tobacco killed hun 1t was a very
SLOW poison let me say TO you yorlg
men, that If you were born after your
father conmencea using tobacco as freely
as most young IN n use II to-day, for that
very reason. II moi Tor others, you do not
possess your fathers strength OF conlritu-
ton, bul have 10 suffer Tor tae folly Of
your parent, and you cannot follow his
footsteps without gong to a premature
grave. \ or can you say how much this
habit biunted the perceptions of your IA
ther IN hlS declining years, clouded his
intellect, impaired his health, and short
ened his life. The crown upon the head
of the old man should be wisdom, and
the chief pearl innocence, and in The in
nocence OF wisdom should he go to his
father. free from pain and disease.
am aware that some men of strong con-
stilWions. active life, and Otherwise OF
good habits, may use alcohol or tobacco
and even get drunk often, and yet live to
a good old age but they are the excep-
lions to The general rule; much greater
number will die young.
But 1t will be found that most of those
who have lived to old age did not COM
mence the use of these poisons very
young, or else that they either used them
moderately, or only occasionally had a
spree, and were never what we would
call hard drinkers or smokers. Whatev-
er impairs the physical energies of indi-
viduals impairs the energies of our race
as a whole, and no man has right to
entail, through his own folly, tendency
10 disease, suffering and premature death
TO his children. Tobacco is not u natural
food for man it will not sustain life f;
that It is poison, has abundantly been
shown-always injurious during health,
and never necessary. except In rare ca
ses of disease, and then only for a tenn
porary period. lis use is a bad example
IL the young. even to innocent children,
leading them astray; 1t Is expensive,
costing the Inhabitants of the United
States more than S25,000,000 annually !;
aud even the professed Christians of our
country more than S5.000000 It's use
IS direct violation of the divine command
- ;hou shalt not iiII-which includes self
murder, 1t matters not whether it be
done in an hour or more slowl ly.-the
work of years,-therefore more deliber-
ately.-T Detroit Tribune.