The Lancaster ledger. [volume] (Lancaster, S.C.) 1852-1905, 1867-08-28
Fer the Lancaster Ledgsr.1 s
Influence Of Tobacco Smoking on Pub.
lic Health.


! SrR.: Thinking :ha, few lines nv wav
of sdnoniiion 90 vour numerous readers.
, on the Aeleterious efF.c,s produced bv
smokiu" tobacco. would not he amiss. I
take the lihe'v OF making few remarks.
A, no ago in tho world has smoking
tobacco been carried to such pitch A. !,
is at the present. I, Was Carried to excess
before the war. hut now |, has become a
perfect mania, and nearly everv BODY,
male and female. black and white. old
snd Young, are aeon putting away-for
dear 'ifs--rega'dle.s OF constqu.nees.-
E, an N Church on the Sshha'h day.
scarce'r is the services over before vou will
find thn habit INDUCED in-hv many
and young bows. with ,heI fr-, boots and
spurs on, out with their tobac 20 poke and
pipe and hoI Of psrlour matches, r,i.e
'ach fog ~ would have been y cur'n.i,v
10 have sen at Church fifv wear. ago.
Bn' started at the outset TO inform
the smoking community OF the bur,fui
and poisonous effects Of s,nokinq tobacco
has On public health. AsIa.,.d abov.
tobacco is extensively usei by all cls..,
nv smoking. TO say no,hi"g Of tho i'm.
mense amount that is chewed, and /, j.
verv sctive narcotic agent, n. Empvr.u,
matte oil scs most dele,eriou.l, on the
nervous sv.'em. and when il is copcen.rs
ted dsath result. from il.
But will Civ. you a history Of the
chem'cal nature ~ tobacco a. given by
tho celebrated Professor Johns,on.. Of
Dn'ham. which wn puhi.h.d IN the
Amari"an I"urna, of Medical Science.
f"r Janusrv. 1861
He ssys "that tho ch.mca, cons,i,ueo,.
Il tobacco are three in nurher = volatile
"'i. volatile a'k.'i. ard an empvreun,a,ic
oil The vo's,ils oil h" the odour OF
tobacco. md po.se.s~s = bitter ,as,e. On
tho mouth and throst it produce. a sen
saiion similsr TO that caused bv tobacco
sm"ke When applied 10 the ncsa il oc.
cssions sneezine, aud when taken inter.
na'ly Il gives rise to ciddin.s.. nauses.
and an inclination to v,m;t. The volatile
s'kali, has m. od"ur Of tob.~co, an .c,id.
burning. long continuing. TOBACCO taste,
and p"ss"sse. narcotic ard very poi.onous
qualities. In this last ,aspect il 10 sra,ca
" inferior to P'".sic acid, a single drop
being sufficient to kin Dig II. vaponr
il so irritating that il !. difficul, to breathe
in = roo's i" shich single drop ha. been
s'sp"'a'sd A hundred pounds Of the
d'v tobacco leaf, WELD about ssven pound.
vt narc"tin. In smoking a hundred grains
"f'ohscco. therefore,. ssy a quarter Of An
ounce, there may he dra ~n into ,he month
two grains or moro 81 one Of ,he mos,
subtle Of all known poisons.
"Ths smnvssumstir oil 10 acrid and di.
agreeable n tho tas'e. n.rco,ic and poison,
ous One drop .ppIis1 70 the tongue al
cat hros2ht on coasulsions, and in two
minutes occssionsd death The Ho.,en.o,.
ara said 70 kill snsk.s hy puttine drip
"f il on their tongues under its influence
'bs rep'i'es die as ins'antaoeouslS q. II
killed hy an slse'ric shock. II sppe.,s IN
ACT nearly In the same way A. Prus.ic
aid"
Esperi""ce proves that . lsre. proper
t'on Of those who smoke and chew t..b.e
co, d" 40 under the co"vis,isa tha, |, {.
'n""cnous in it's effseu, sud otten heo.fi
c'ai. Nov this 10 . mistsks which IN.
every day observation Of medical p,.e,i.
t'one" CO" ausst. For smone, the ma
''e"ts who daily consult us Tor vs,;o,.
nervous and stomach complaints, il will
bs found that tobacco smokers fo,,ns .
large proP"riion. Indeed No 6nd, an.,,
peesed'y s''ns'imss. on inquiry. ,hs, the
habit OF s'nokine, is the source ~ ve,v
distressing ailments, which immsdis,s,y
s"hs'de OF gradually snis;ds. on omi,,inp
the use OF this drug I, IL Rrevious 10
observe ,ha, this hsbii is prevailing smonp q
young ps"pIs. upon whom i,s effects are
most 'its'y to bs psejadicial. St,ikinply
illustrative Of this position 10 ,hs fact,
which has very recently been made pub.
TIC. That in the composition sran,ios stions
to which young psrssos ara subm;,,sd in