The weekly union record., 1865-01-07
Tobacco and Tobacco Smoking.

One Of the most interesting and novel Of al
the speculations on the use Of tobacco was
submitted to the British Association for the
Advancement of Science at its late session and
The information afforded will be well received
hy that large class Of peesouS who indulge ii
the Use Of the weed. Dr.. Richardson first con
trived an au,omaton smoker. into whosc mouth
pipes. cigars and meerschaum. were placed !
and the smoke from them being caught 81
colleciad. enabled him to determine the pro
ducts Of the combustion. These he deiermi
ned as, l. water; ,. free carbon: 5. ammonia |
1 csrbonic acid; 3, nicotine; 6. an empyrea
matte substance Of q resinous bitter extract
He says:
The water Is in the form Of vspor, the car
bou,iu minute particles suspended in the water
vspor, and giving the eddies of smoke their
blue color; the ammonia is in the form OF Gas
combined with carbonic acid ; and the carbo1
mic acid is partly pure and partly in combua
tion with ammonia. The nicotine. he says
being non.vocatile body, remains in the pipe.
the empyreumatic substance is a voc&iile body
of an ammoniacal nature OF the composition oi
which the Doctor confesses himself uracqusin !
ted, but which We have ventured TO considerS
as resin. Whatever it is it is that which gives
the smoke of tobacco its peculiar odor. and
determines the favor Of a cigar. II sdhercs
powerfully TO woolen materials, and when con1
centrated has a most obnoxious and intolcra
Bile smell. The bitter substance Is resinooS
and OF dark color. probably having on alkaloid
as its base. II is no, volatile, and only leaves
the pipe or cigar by being carried along in o
fluid form.
The varieties OF tobacco are innumcrahlc
Simple tobacco that has not undergone fer
meutaton Yields very little tee carbon. much
ammonia, carbonic acid. little water. small
quantity of the empyreama and an equally
small quantity of bitter extract. The latakiaI
Yields the same products uniformly. the Turk
ish generally more ammonia, Havana all these
products Cavendish varies considerably in
its constituents: pigtail yields oil very abun
dainty; the little Swiss cigars yield enormous
quantities Of ammonia, and so dry tie mouth:
Manillas give very little. The Connecticut
tobacco is comparatively mild 10 taste. from
the absence of the bitter extract.
The wafer vapor Of smoke is rot injurious
but the carbon in il settles on the mucoasj
membrane and irritates the throat. The uar1
cotic effect OF tobacco smoke. if received into
the lungs, resides in the csrbonic acid; the ami
monia causes dryness, biting Of the mucous
membrane of the throat. and an increased flow
Of the saliva-experences familiar TO sm :
kers. bsorbed into the blood. SAYS Dr. Rich
ardson. it renders the fluid too thin, causing an
angularty of the blood corpuscles. suppressed
Of the hillary secretion and yellowness Of skin.
qulckenng ard then reducing the action Of thc
heart. In young smokers it produces nausea
1t is doubtful whether all these effects are 60
be traced TO the carbonic acid. If so. most Of
our mineral waters, so freely drank. are dread
ful poisons instead of being remedial agents as
they are generally esteemed.
The empyreumatic substance seems 10 have
little effect except in giving the peculiar ,asic
to tobacco smoke. and after while Of making
the breath OF smokers unbearable. Nicotine
is rarely ever imbbed by the cleauly smoker.
saws DR.. Richardson. II affects only those
who smoke cigars by holding them in the
mouth. or dirty pipes saturated with oily mat
ter. When absorbed its effects are injurious,
such as pal lpi.stiOn OF the heart, tremor sDdI
unsteadiness of the muscles, and great prostra-
ton.
1t will not OF itself, produce vomiting; il is |
the bitter extract which is the cause OF this. !
imperceptibly swallowed and taken into the |
stomach.
The method Of smoking makes all the differ |
ence in the world. Those wlp use the clean.
long pipes of clay-as did our cd X Knicker-
bockers-feel only the effect of 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. DR.. Richardson
says they should be cast aside as soon as one
half is smoked, and always smoked from po-
rous or absorbent tube. Pipes are much less
hurtful than cigars The best pipe is long
clay pipe; next to this. the meerschaum ia the
most wholesome. DR.. Richardson SAYS. the
perfection OF pipe will be found in meersc-
aum bowl, an amber mouth piece and clay
stem. All attempts at pipes 10 condense the
oil have thus far failed. Every smoker should
be careful of the manner in which be smokes.
A short foul pipe is unhealthful.
The fashion of the meerschaum has largely
prevailed in this country of late years. The
material is now imported 10 blocks and manu- |
factured here into various forms. some very
handsome and costly. The prices range as
high as thirty five dollars. The proprietor OF
q good meerschanm thinks as much Of i al.
most ss OF himself. II it is well colored which
is the result Of absorbing the oil Of the tobac-
CO, it not only becomes beautiful 10 his eyes.
but the smoke is said TO be sweeter to his taste
The cigar dealears assert that, uotwith-
standing the heavy tax on tobacco manufac-
lures, the demand has in no way fallen off, but
the contrary.