The home journal. (Winchester, Tenn.) 1858-188?, 1873-09-11
About Smoking.
| From the London lancet. |

|
blood, must, as n matter of course
affect the health and activity of the
brain. If, then we ascertain the ply
siological effect of tobacco upon the
liie-huid, we shall be in fair way for
deciding the question, especially if we
find individual cases confirming the
views thus arrived at. There is nothing
stronger in medical evidence than the
agreement of physiology and pathology.
DR.. Richardson has SO clearly explained
the influence of smoking upon the
blood, that it will be best to quote his
graphic account His scientific emin-
ence entities his evidence to respect,
and lovers OF the weed must recollect
that it is II smoker to whom they are
listening: con the blood the pro-
longed inhalation of tobacco produces
changes which are very marked in
character. The fluid is thinner than is
natural, and in extreme cases, paler.
In such instances the deficient color of
the blood is communicated to the body
altogether, rendering the external sur
face yellowish, white and puffy. The
blood, being thin, also exudes freely,
and cut surface bleeds for long time,
and may continue to bleed inconveni-
emily, even in opposition to remedies.
But the most important change is ex-
erted on those little bodies which float
in myriads in the blood, and are known
as the red globules These globules
have naturally n double concave sur
face, and at their edges perfectly
smooth outline. They are very soluble
in alkalies, and are subject to change of
shape and character, when the quality
of the fluid in which they float is modi
fed in respect to density. The absorp-
tion, therefore, of the fumes of tobacco
necessarily leads to rapid changes in
them; they lose their round shape, they
become oval and irregular at their
edges, and instead of having a mutual
attraction for each other and running
together, a good sign of their physical
health, they lie loosely scattered before
the eye, and indicate TO the learned OBJ
server as clearly as though they spoke
to him and said the words, that the man
from whom they were taken is physical
ly depressed, and deplorably deficient
both in muscular and mental power"
Tobacco modifies the circulation in
the brain, as in other portions of the
body. Hence, it would be remarkable
indeed if it did not exercise some infu-
ence upon the mechanism of thought.
" A sincere, self-observing smoker can
not fail, says NJ. Meunier, "to recog-
nize that tobacco creates q new nature,
more disposed to dreaming than action"
Although a great smoker himself, he
considered the habit was inimical to the |
rational mind. His frequent diatribes
against this mort aux peuples excited
much raillery but the habit of twent
years long was too strong for him. So
close vas the connection between work
and smoke with NJ. Meunier, that the
amount of intellectual labor he per-
formed was chronicled by the extent of
his consumption of tobacco. When, at
last, after many fruitless attempts, he
put his conduct in harmony with his
opinion, it required several weeks of
undivided attention to break the chains
Of habit which bound him. The mode
N which nicotine acts upon the blood
,essels explains the apparent contradic-
ion that it should be able to excite into
activity an organ which it .
has enfeebled and stupefed. The ex-
,itement and over-activity which it
'auses in the contractile apparatus OF
.he blood vessels are quickly followed