The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1878-03-07
CIGARETTE SMOKING.
Increase Of the Habit In Ten Years
What Physicians Say OF Its
Effects.

Effects.
There is growing belief that the
habit of cigarette smoking has q bad
effect. upon the health of those addict
ed to it. Within the past ten years
the habit has increased SO rapidly that
the sale of cigars and tobacco for pipe
smoking has been materially decreas-
ed. One cause has been the popular
desire 10 economize; another, q pecu-
liar fascination possessed by the ciga-
rette for novices in smoking, who re-
gard it as less formidable than cigar !;
a third, because it is the most conven-
lent way of taking 'whifr between
the acts of the theater, or in a few
minutes of leisure anywhere and a
fourth, because the inhaling of the
smoke gratifies a taste not to be satis-
fed in any other way. Ten years ago
cigarettes were smoked only by for
eigners, and those associating much
with them, or by people who had ac-
quired the habit while abroad. Now
the habit has extended even to many
inveterate cigar-smokers. Ten years
ago it was only possible to obtain one
brand of cigarettes, the Cuban, from
New York tobacco dealers: now it is
stated that there are 33S different
brands in the market.
Several of the prominent physicians
of this city unite in declaring this
cigarette smoking is much more inju-
rious than cigar smoking, because the
smoke is generally inhaled, and often
elected through the nose. 1t has a
particular harmful local effect on the
mucous membrane of the nasal pas
sage. People who use cigarettes are
more liable than others to be afflicted
with local irritations that produce ca
tarrh. In persons of nervous temper
aments the doctors say cigarette smok-
ing always produces constitutional ef-
fects. The pulse is Increased in frc-
quency, becomes smaller than is nat.
ural, and is irregular. Such persons
are said by physicians to have a to-
bacco pulse and a tobacco heart The
action of the pulse in this respect is
not to be mistaken, Persons who con.
stantly smoke cigarettes are said by
physicians to be easily excited, and to
have tendency to vertigo, and dim
ness of vision, besides being troubled
by dyspepsia. Bronchial and throat
diseases are much more readily caus-
ed by cigarette smoking than by cigar
smoking, and during the past six or
seven years large increase in diseases
of the air passages, due alone to this
habit, has been observed. Physicians
state that there is not one-fifth as
much of the mucous surface covered
by cigar smoke as by the inhaled
smoke of a cigarette. Excessive in
diligence in any form oftobacco smok-
ing may produce general paralys sis,
while by enfeebling the circulation,
lowering the vitality of the system,
aud interfering with assimilation of
of food, it tends to produce anemia,
which is one of the first steps toward
softening Of the brain. Vertigo, when
resulting from smoking strong cigars,
or from the inhaling of cigarette smoke
is due aramia, or in other words, to a
diminished supply of blood to the
brain.
BY some it is claimed that the paper
wrapping of cigarettes is as hurtful as
the tobacco. This claim is grounded
upon the belief that the products of
the imperfect combustion of the paper
or other vegetable fibre, are pyrogallic
and pyro ligneons acids, which make
their presence unpleasanily felt in the
mucous membrane.-[N.Y Y. Tribune.