Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1872-10-10

EFFECTS OF TOBACCO ON Man AND
ANIMALS. DR. LebOn of Paris has Civ
en- a great deal of attention to the queS-
Of the effects of tobacco upon man and
animals, and has lately presented Il re
port on the subject to the Medico-Chi-
rugical Society of Liege. Among the
conclusions which the author has
reached in the course of his researches
the following may be mentioned as the
most important:
l. Smokers, and persons who without
smoking are enyeloped in an atmosphere
of tobacco smoke, absorb for each guam
tity of ten grammes OF tobacco a pro-
portion Of nicotine varying from some
centigrammes to gramme. They alb
sorb also about an equal amount of am
mOnia.
2 The quantity of tobacco consumed
daily by a single individual addicted to
its use is scarcely less than twenty gram
mes, \ smoker is, therefore, liable to
absorb daily a quantity of nicotine
which may reach twenty-five centigram-
mes with an equal proportion of ammo
MIA.
3, Of all kinds of smoking the most
dangerous is that of smoking a cigar or
cigarette and swallowing the smoke
The least dangerous is that of smoking a
nargile or pipe with long tube, in the
open air.
4. The effect produced by the result
of the condensation of tobacco smoke is
analogous to that of nicotine. Never
theless there must be added the effects
produced by the ammonia, which the
smoke contains in considerable quantity.
5. The resinous semi-liquid which
condenses in the interior of the pipe
contains a considerable proportion of
nicotine itself, and rapidly destroys the
life of animals exposed to its action.
6. The liquid product which cOndens-
es III the lungs and stomach of the
tine, fatty and resinous bodies and col
oring matters. A dose of one drop of
this speedily produces paralysis of mo-
ton In small animals, and state of APP
parent death. The effects quickly dis
appear, but death actually supevenes if
the dose is carried up TO several drops.
If, instead of administering the liquid
internally, the animal is made to breathe
it for some time, it dies all the same
In this last case the effect seems due in
great measure to the presence of ammo
MIA.
7. In dose of a single drop danger
Gus results are not produced upon large
animals but those of a small size are
killed instantaneously. Among the eff
fects observed the most constant are the
fibrillar tremblings, a general congestion
of the superficial vessels, stupor and es-
pecialy the tetanifom contraction of the
muscles of the abdomen. ..,
8. Nicotine is one of the pois0ns the
effect of which is most speedily dissipat-
ed, and the habituation to which is soon
est accomplished.
8. Contrary to what has generally
been assumed, the vapor of nicotine at
the ordinary temperature is not danger
Gus, but it is quite otherwise if the liquid
is carried to ebullition. 1t then produces
palpitations, decided suffocation, pre-
cordial pain and vertigo Smaller ami
mails exposed to this vapor die almost in
simultaneously.
TO- Among the effects of tobacco
upon man may be mentioned, in small
doses, excitation of the intellectual fac
ulties for the moment; in repeated dos
es it produces palpitations, troubles of
vision, and more especially decrease Of
the memory, and particularly the memo
ry of words