The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1873-09-05
About Smoking.
From the London Lancet. ]


affect the health and activity of the
brain. If, then we ascertain the ply
siological effect of tobacco upon the
life-fuid, 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 recolIect
that it is a smoker to whom they are
listening &c On 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, paIer.
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 a 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 gIobuIes
have naturally a double conoave sur
face, and at their edges a 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-
ton, therefore, of the fumes of tobacco
necessarily leads to rapid changes in
them they lose their round shape, they
become oval aud 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 10 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 deplorabIy deficient
| both in muscular and mental power"
! Tobacco modifes 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 reeog-
nize that tobacco creates a new nature,
more disposed to dreaming than action"
| Although a great smoker himself, he
considered the habit was inimicaI 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 was 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
of habit which bound him. The mode
in which nicotine acts upon the blood
vessels explains the apparent contradic-
ton that it should be able to excite into
momentary activity an organ which it
has enfeebled and stupefed. The ex-
eitement and over-activity which it
causes in the contractiIe apparatus of |
the blood vessels are quickly followed |
by general fatigue, which is only a |
modified paralysis. Thinking, as we
have seen, is closely related with the |
cerebral circulation. When, by con-
tinued usage, the muscular tissue of the |
blood vessels has become gradually be- |
numbed, the blood, in place of its |
naturally rapid flow, circulates slowly |
and sIuggishIy, and the functionary
energy of the brain is diminished. But, /
with a new exhibition of the stimuIant, |
the muscular contractibility is again |
stimulated, the circulation becomes |
quicker, the brain, abundantly and re-
gularly bathed by the hfe-blOOd, takes |
up again its functions, the brain-pOwer |
increases, ideas flow with greater rapid |
ity; but the activity thus produced |
cannot last. With this stimulation dis
appear the brilliant results which it had |
produced, and the organ falls into re-
Iaxed condition, from which only in |
creased doses can temporarily rescue If.
One of the results upon the brain is |
loss of memory. Many authors have
noticed this fact The case of I Abbe |
MoignO, the celebrated editor of Les |
Mondes, is curious. He had often been |
in the habit of taking snuff, which had |
always led to prejudicial results. After
various temporary renunciatiOns he had |
returned to its use. In 1861, while en-
gagged in some mathematical labors, he |
took twenty to twenty-five grammes
daily, and found himself continually |
having resource to the snuff-box- The |
effect was a rapid extinction of the |
faculty Of memory. He had learned |
several languages by their root words,
of which he knew from 1,2O0 to l 800 /
of each tongue, but he found that his /
power of recalling the words was gra-
dually diminishing, and recourse to the
dictionary became each day more neces-
sary. Struck with this fact, he resolved !
TO abandon the tabatiere and cigar. |
Writing, after six years experience as a
non smoker, he says "a: cit has been fol 4
US the commencement of a veritablc
resurrection of health, mind and memo