The Opelousas journal. [volume] (Opelousas, La.) 1868-1878, 1872-12-21
TOBACCO POISONING.

pill to swallow1n ms treatise on
poisoning.
By way of ~exhflarating our readers
given to nicotine, and furnishing them
with a topic of pleasant and cheerful
thought in these evil days Of political
misery, we will condense NJ. Blantin's
principal facts. They will at least learn
from them that bya Observation-Disclosures
in their favorite pastime, they may end
by stepping out of thislife's 0t0 dolofoso
into that Gland where nc wind blows"
M. Blantin divides tobacco poisoning
into two classes, acute and chronic. The
former the result of an overdose, the
second the accumulated consequences OF
doses continually repeated.
The first we will not dwell upon. We
have all heard of n ortwo exceptional
cases of nicotine poisoning. Men who
have been utterly paralyzed, or blinded
sudden deaths having ensued, or Sc
rious injuries which shortened life. But
these cases are few and far between,
and do not address themselves to our
daily experience. We all reason that
the most harmless remedial agent taken
suddenly, and in excess, might be fol-
lowed by fatal consequences.
But chronic nicotism, that every nine
men out Of ten practice hourly, touches
! a popular chord.
It is only after years OF Indulgence
| that nicotic poison symptoms appear.
| The system has to be charged to safety
before any manifestation Of the danger.
| Even then the tobacco lover is apt to
trace the symptoms to other causes be-
| sides the right one.
Tremulousness of nerves and inter
mittent pulse are the first results OF
chronic nicotism. They are in some ca
ses associated with vertigo. The pulsa-
| tions of the heart which before smoking
we're "a per minute, after smoking eleven
minutes, become 112. The heart thus
forced to extra work by a paralysis OF
the minute vessels which form the bat,
teries of the V system, revengeS
itself by a sluggish reaction.
From this alternate artificial accelera'
ton, and corresponding depression, tht
distance is not very far to "angina pee
toris,n one of the most terrible diseases
in the woful catalogue of human suffer
ing. Difficulty of breathing, almost ap'
preaching asthma, is a common symp
tom. The smoker takes his after din
ner pipe OF segar to aid digestion. l
undoubtedly increases the gastric secre
ton, butequally, beyond doubt, the DAILY
stimulation enfeebles the nerves and di
gestive organs. Appetite fails, nutrition
is impeded, dyspepsia conquers. TIL
influence of tobacco upon the vision i
we'll known. One symptom in acute nj
cotism is blindness, and DR.. McKenzi
says the principal cases Of amaurosis
whicireame under his care, were elearl.
traceable to the use of tobacco.
Some people smoke to keep cold Out
ignorant that tobacco is a most wastefu
destroyerof heat. Itisfancied the wee
soothes and cheers the weary toiler, an
rests the over-worked brain. "Butshal
WEI saws a late writer ON nicotine, Csc
the house on fire to warm our hands b
the blaze"
In short, summing up all, tobacco di
minishes vital force and leadsto organi
disease. Nicotine too, is one of the IRE
+ pressible poisons, and is always detecte
in the tissues of the lungs and liver afte
death.
!, We have given our readers a summar
! Of the investigations of a celebrate
. Scientist who, for many years, has mad
the effects of nicotine a special stud!
j We are no Don Quixote to run a I'll
against a fascinating custom, but the
we wish to show our friendsi in whatwa
it is pleasantest to shuttle off this mort;
+ coil. Those who don't like dyspepsi
can take angina peetOris. Some ma
prefer amaurosis and close their eyes 0
this wicked world, and others agai
/ crave the interest awakenedby shattere
! nerves.
+ We have given them their choice, v
don't exactly know what ours will be.
AHillsboro (N. Co. correspondent
the Norfolk Journal says: Eve see
h Parton's Life of Greeley that the phi
osopher, when quite a stumbling, toy
i headed youth, was wandering arouI
J New York hunting for work-a strapp'
nY.n4ar Ho s4In,blod IN 4hn