The Jackson standard. [volume] (Jackson C.H., Ohio) 1847-1888, 1876-11-23
[FIom the Scientific Americana
A Cigar Scientifically Dissected.

A polite visitor, who, during his inter
view with US, had rendered our sanctum
redolent with the fumes of a fragrant
Havana, has just left a cigar on our table
with the laughing request that we smoke
it. Despite the fact that it is an excep-
tionally fine cigar, we are unable to
crafty our friends desire, seeing that we
don't smoke; but the thought occurs
that we can show our appreciation of the
gift by applying the light, not of a match
but of science, to it, and thus giving our
friend and his brother smokers some
thing to ponder over next time "the
blue up.curling smoke" leads them to
reverie.
To the world in general cigar is
merely a tightly rolled packet having
brittle fragments OF dry leaves within,
and a smooth silky leaf tor its outer
wrapper. When it is burnt, and the
pleasantly favored smoke inhaled, the
habitual smoker claims for it soothing
luxury that quiets the irritable, nervous
organism, relieves weariness, and entices
repose. Science. scouting SO superficial
description, examines first the smoke,
second the leaf, third the ash. In the
smoke is discovered water in vaporous
substance condensable into oily nicotine
These are the general divisions, which
Vohl and Gutenberg have still further
split up; and IN so doing have found
acetic, formic, butyric, valerie and pro
picnic acids, prussic acid, creosate, and
carbolic acid, ammonia, sulphuretted
hydrogen, pyridine, virldine, picoline,
lutidine, collodine, parvoline, coridine,
and rubidene. These last are a series Of
oily bases belonging to the homologues
of aniline, first discovered in coal tar
Applying chemical tests to the leaves,
other chemists have found nicosia, tc-
bacco camphor or nicotianine (abouJ
which not much is known), a bitter ex-
tTactive matter, gum, chlorophyll, malate
of lime, suudry albuminods, malic acid,
woody fiber, and various salts The
feathery white ash. which in its cohesion
and whiteness is indicative OF the good
cigar, Yields potash, soda, magnesia, lime,
phosphoric acid sulphuric acid, silica,
and chlorine. Our friend has kindly
left US a fine cigar; had it been poor
and cheap one, the ingredients we should
extract would be fearful and wonderful
to contemplate. Here is the list from an
English parliamentary report on adulter-
ations in tobacco Sugar, alum, lime,
-four or meal rhubarb leaves, saltpeter,
iuller's earth, starch, malt commings,
chromate of lead, peat moss, molasses,
burdock leaves, common salt, endive
leaves, 'lampblack, gum, red dye, a black
dye composed OF vegetable red, iron, and
liauorice scraps of newspaper, cinnamon
stick, cabbage leaves, and straw brown
paper.
Returning now to the smoke, or rather
its ingredients, DR.. B. w. Richardson, in
his Diseases of Modern Life" considers
the effect of the same on the body at
considerable length, basing his conclu-
sions on actual investigation He tells
US that water, OF course, is harmless
free carbon acts mechanically as an irri-
tant, and tends to discolOr the secretions
and the teeth. Ammonia bites the
tongue, exercises a solvent influence on
the blood, excites the salivary glands,
and thus causes a desire to drinn while
smoking The tendency of carbonic acid
is to produce sleepiness, and lassitude
When a cigar is smoked badly, that is,
when the combustion of the tobacco is
slow and incomplete, carbonic oxide is
produced in, small quantities. and is an
active poisoning agent, resulting in ir-
regular motion of the heart, vomiting,
conyulstons of the muscles, and drowsi.
ness. The nicotine tends to cause tre-
NOR, palpitation of the heart, and paral-
ysis. The volatile empyreumatic sub
stance produces a sense OF oppression
and taints the breath and surroundings
OF the smoker with the well-known
stale tobacco smoke" smell. The bitter
extract causes that sharp nauseous taste
peculiar to a re-lighted cigar or an old
pipe.
By trying the effect of tobacco smoke
on lower animals, we can obtain an influ-
ence on ourselves. Small insects are
stupefied rapidly, but recover in fresh
air Cold-blooded animals succumb
slowly to the smoke, birds rapidly Some
animals, such as the goat, can eat tobac-
co with impunity; but none escape the