The Burlington weekly hawk-eye. [volume] (Burlington [Iowa]) 1860-1876, 1864-12-03
BURLINGTON, SATURDAY, DECEMBER 8 1864

.o,-l, JUNE, lS3.
Tobacco and Tobacco smoking
Chemistry or tho Enecta
Of Sn1OkinG..Cfgors. Pipes and
MeeRschaums. a'i ~ s.z q.
One of the most Interesting and novel Of
4 all the speculatiOns on the use or tobacco
was submitted to the British Association
| for the Advancement Of Science, at its late
session, and the information afforded win
be well received by that large class OF per-
sons who indulge In the use Of the weed
Dr.. Richardson first contrived an automa-
ton smoker, into whose mouth pipes, ci-
gars and meershaums were placed. and the
smoke from them being caught and collect
ed, enabled him to determine the products
Of the combustion. These he determined
as: !, water 2, free carbon 8, ammonia 4,
carbonic acid 5, nicotine; 8, an empyreu.
tract. He says:
The water Il in the form Of vapor, the
carbon In minute particles suspended In
the water vapor, and giving the eddies Of
smoke their blue color; the ammonia II In
the form Of gas combined with carbonic
and partly in combination with ammonia.
The nicotine, he says, being = non-volatilo
body Of an ammoniacal nature OF the COM
position Of which the Doctor confesSes him.
self unacQuainted, but which we have ven.
tured to consider as resin. Whatever 1t u,
it is that which gives the smoke Of tobacco
its peculiar odor, aud determines the flavor
en- materials, and when concentrated has
most obnoxious and intolerable smell. The
bitter substance IL resinous and OF dark
color, probably having an a1kaloid as its
base. II IL not volatile, and only leaves
the pipe or cigar by being carried along in
The varieties Of tobacco are innumera.
BILE. Simple tobacco that has not UNDER
gone fermentation yields very little free
carbon, much ammonia, carb0ntc acid, lit
tie water, small quantity Of the empyre-
anna and an equally small quantity OF Bit
Ter extract. The LatAkia yields the same
products uniformly, the Turkish generally
Cavendish varies considerably in its CON-
stituents; pigtail yields all abundantly;
the little swiss cigars yield enormous
quantities of amOnia, and 80 dry the mouth:
Manillas give very little. The Connecticut
tobacco is comparatively mild in taste,
from the absence Of the bitter extract.
ErFEcrs OF SMOKING.
The water vapor Of smoke is not inju-
riOus, but the carbon in it settles on the
Thenarcotic effect of tobacco smoke, if re.
ceived into the lungs, resides in the car.
bOnic acid; the ammonia causes dryness, q
biting of the mucous membrane Of the
throat, and an increased flow Of saliva
experience familiar to smokers. Absorbed
into the blood. says DR.. Richardson, It rem
ders the fluid too thin, causing angularity
of the blood corpuscles, suppression Of the
hillary secretion and vellOwness of the
skin, quickening and then reducing the ac-
ton Of the heart In young smokers it
produces nausea. It is doubtful whether
VI! these effects are to be traced to the car
bonic acid. II so, most Of our mineral
waters, so freely drank, are dreadful poi
sons instead Of being remedial agents, as
they are generally esteemed.
The einpyreumatic substance seems to
have little effect except in giving the pecu-
liar taste 10 tobacco smoke, and after .
while of making the breath Of smokers
bibed by the careful smoker" says DR..
Richardson. It affects only those who
smoke cigars, by holding them in the
mouth, or dirty pipes saturated with oily
matter. When absorbed, its effects are
injurious, such - palpitation Of the heart,
tyemor and unsteadiness Of the muscles,
and great prostration. It will not, Of it
self, produce vomiting; it is the bitter ex-
tract which is the cause of this, impercept-
iblv swallowed and taken into the stom-
ach.
HOW TO SMOKE.
The method or smoking makes all the
difference in the world. Those who use the
clean, long pipes of clay-as did our old
Knickerbockers-feelo only the effec: of the
gaseous bodies and the free carbon
Wooden pipes. and pipes with glass stems.
are Injurious. Cigars should never be
smoked to the end; otherwise they are
more injurious than all. Or. Richardson
says they should be cast aside as soon as
one. half is smoked, and always smoked
from q porous or absorbent tube. Pipes
are much less hurtful than cigars. The
best pipe is a long clay pipe; next to this,
the meerschaum is the most wholesome.
DR.. Richardson says the perfection Of .
pipe will be found in meerschauM bowl,
an amber mouthpiece and . clay stem. Ali
attempts at pipes to condense the Oil have
thus far failed. Every smoker should be
careful of the manner in which he smokes.
A short foul pipe is very unhealthfu,.
THE CHIEF JUsTICEsHIP.-Int the Isle-
pendent, Theodore Til,on concludes a pow
erful leader on "Three Cardinal Points,"