Juniata sentinel. [volume] (Mifflintown, Pa.) 1846-1873, 1873-05-14
MISCELLAN US.
Tohaooo - It's Effects on the Human
Constitution, Physical, Intellectual
and Moral.
BY JAMES COULTER LayARp, NJ. d.
lC0SFINUED.

over the use Of the lie thing at once and
forever. Another way is TO diminish
gradually the amount of tobacco used
daily for few weeks, until you get
down 10 a minimum quantity and fin
ally TO none at all. A third plan is the
subs ttuiiou, for time, of some other
nervine in place of the tobacco. Each
of the above methods has its adherents
among medical men. Some there are
who advocate the first method as a gen
eral principle, whether the subject be
the victim of tobacco, alcohol, or opium I;
but we think they are the minority
Prof John King, of The Eclectic
Medical College, Cincinnati, O.. thus
advises: 'Snuffers and smokers may stop
at once, but old chewers should gradu
ally lessen their quils and at the Same
time acquire the habit of chewing cham
emile t!awers, boneset leaves, or the in
ier bark of the wild hickory
Rev. George Trask, of Fitchburg,
Mass, who may justly be called the
chief apostle of the antl-tobacco reform,
recommends that when one stops chew
ing tobacco he take after each meal. or
oftencr, as much gentian root, coarsely
ground as would amount TO TIE bulk of
common quid Of fine cut or cavendish,
and chew it well, swallowing the saliva.
lie offers az q reason that gentian is
tonic ore Of the bitter tonics, and the
rse Of it in the way and manner indica-
ted will do much to neutralze and allay
the taste for tobacco. 1t is also nerv
aine, aud a a good effect in braeing up
the relaxed nervous system, and thus
preventing, 10 some. extent, the awful
feeling Of gonencss, as he calls it, to
which tobacco chewer, retiring from
business, is subject. And another thing |
it does-pcrhaps not 80 unimportant a
matter either, as it might at first blush |
seem to Ie-it employs the mouth and
beguies the attention.
DR.. Wilson of Owego, n. Y, profes,
pes to have found a remedy for tobacco
chewing in the leaves of the common red
plantain. He says that after chewing
these for three or four days and swallow
lug the juice, which is harmless, it will
be impossible to use tobacco without
sickening.
Those of our readers who have seen
Mr.. Parton's article. "Will it pay to
smoke r. in The Atlantic Monthly, will
remember how he quieted his nerves with
whisky when he quit smoking. The
nervous excitement continued but a few
days, and less than one bottle of whisky
was required.
We have thus givef The opinions aud
suggestions of others as far as we have
been able 10 collect them, selecting those .
which seemed 10 be of value in this con-
nection. We have thought it our duty
to give to users of tobacco, who wish to
reform their habits, all the information
and assistance in our power, to enable
them to Dc so with the least amount of
suffering and inconvenience, and with the
greatest certainty Of success. But in re-
gard to the plan Of substituting some
other nervine for the one Withdrawn, al
though it may be of advantage in some
instances, We must say, that upon the
whole, we have very little confidence in
il Every drug has its own specific eff
ect on the human system, and no other
can be a complete substitute for it. Opt
um-eaters, upon relinquishing their habit
are sometimes given alcoholic stimulants
Such, though, would rather have one
grain of morphine than demJohn of
fourth-proof brandy. And an old tobac- 7
co chewer under the same circumstances,
would rather have cuid of fine-cut than
a barrel of chamomile flowers or a ton of
gcntian root.
From all that we are able to learn the
habit Of chewing tobacco is much more
difficult 10 reform than that of smoking p
but in most instances smoking can be 4
substituted for chewing, without serious
hn cp,ol-ao 1
wishes to rid himself of the habit, let v
him diminish week by week the number a
of cigars or pipes smoked daily. If be
smoked regularly six cigars day it does =,
not seem to us that it would be any very |
great hardship to bring down the number
% five. After smoking five cigars daily
or q week, let him reduce the number to
our, and after the lapse of another week
% three and SO ON, reducing the daily
allowance each subsequent week by one L
,igar, until he comes down to none at e., g.,
III. 70
If the subject be chewer of tobacco al
instead of smoker, let him quit chew 5
NC and take to smoking for month, or
uch length of time as may be necessary
o make him feel quite as comfortable az n
,efore the change was made. From this I"
'oiut let him proceed as in the first ex-
mple. C.
But suppose the offender chews and
l., SC loJ ,,,o