Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1859-10-20
The Effects Of Smoking.

The remarkable research made by NJ.
Bouisson upon the danger of smoking, has
attracted the notice Of the Academic and has
been rewarded with high praise. The hor-
rors hitherto unknown or unacknowledged,
with which smokers are threatened, nay
more, convicted by NJ. Bouisson, are sufh-
cient upon bare anticipation to ruin the rev.
enue and the pipe makers also. Cancer IN
the mouth, Nj. Bouisson declares to have
grown so frequent from the use of tobacco
that il now forms one of the most dreaded
diseases in the hospitals, and at Montpelier,
where NJ. Bouisson resides, the operation OF
its extraction forms the principal practice OF
the surgeons there. In u short period OF
time, from l845 to 1859. NJ, Bouisson HIM
self performed sixty-eight operations for
cancer in the lips at Hospital Saint Eloi.
The writer's on cancer previous to our day,
mention the rare occurrence Of the disease
in the lps and it has therefore become evil
dent that il must have increased of late years
in prorortion with the smoking Of tobacco.
NJ. Bouisson proves this fact by the rsietire
increase in the French duties on tobacco,
which. in 1912, brought an annual amount
of twenty-five millions, and now give rev
enue of one hundred and thirty millions: III
most that attained by the duties on wines
and spirits, and far beyond that rendered
by those on sugar. NJ. BouissoH rsmarkS,
Justly or not, that "this figure, extrayagant
as it may appear, fades into ins'gnihcance
before that attained by the British tax
which, according to pr. Seymour, amounts
to fabulous sum, in country where boys
smoke from FIVE o'clock in the afternoon till
three o'clock in the morning, and where
children of ten years old are known to con-
sumo as many az forty cigars in day.
The use Of tobacco serely, however, pro-
duces lip cancer in youth. Almost all
Bouisson's patients had passed tine aye OF
forty. In individuals Of the humber classes
who smoke short pipes and tobacco of infe-
rior quality, the disease is more trequent
than with the rich, who smoke cigars or
long pipes. 1t becomes evident. therefore.
that it is owing more to the constant appll'
cation Of heat to the lips than to the inhsl-
ing of the Dicatine, that the disease IS gene.
rated. With the Orientals, who are careful
to maintain the cDolnssa OF the mouthpiece
by the transmission Of the smoke through
perfumed water, the disease is lnknawn.
N Bouisson, whose earnestness in the cause
does him the utmost credit, advised gene.
raI crusade to be preached by the doctors Of
every country against the immoderate use Of
tobacco, as being the only means Of e1ter-
minatiug the habit; because, although the
most powerful sovereigns have been power
less to prevent it-slthough Sultan Auurah
threatened in vain to cut of the noses OF
tho.a who smoked, and Peter the Great
vowed !dissst Eepgeance against all smokers,
and even the thuna-ss # the Vatican have
been hurled against them III Srir. there is
one thing which mankind holds ID bog
turror than u noseless face, or even an ex-
communicated soul-and that is an untimey
death. Let young men be once impressed
with this truth. and the "4vt of Smoking"
which one of our best authors has lately sxtoE
led as the finest Of MI the fine arts, will soon
be set aside and forgotten.-London Paper.