The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1878-02-14

they do, not only an examination of the
products generated by the combustion
of tobacco during smoking, but also the
physiological effects of the bases ex-
tracted from tobacco smoke, and the
chemical composition of commercial to-
bacco for smoking, for chewing, and
snuff.
The article sold for smoking purposes
was invariably found by them to con-
tain nicotine, amounting sometimes to
four per cent. or more, while in tobacco
used for chewing and snuff only minute
traces of that alkaloid could be detect
ed, so that nicotine poisoning from
chewing or snuffing would appear to be
very prob lematical-indeed, it is assert
ed that no such cases are on record.
Among the gaseous products given
off during the smoking of good
tobacco and cigars, there were found
oxygen, hydrogen, marsh gas and
earbonic oxide, besides the more readily
condensible gases and vapors-sulphur-
ated hydrogen and hydrocyanic acid,
and occasionally sulphocyanic acid, this
case being produced at later stage by
the action of sulphurated hydrogen on
hydrocyanic acid. The acid and nom
basic products formed are various. The
most interesting fact developed in these
Investigations was that no nicotine
could be detected among the basic pro-
duets of the distillation-proving that
the injurious effects of tobacco smoking
are not to be attributed to nicotine. On
the contrary, according to these chem
lists, it was in the alkaloids of the pyrid-
in or pycolin series, well known to be
produced during the destructive distilla-
zion of wood and other vegetable pro-
ducts, that the poisonous influences are
found. These were tested upon pigeons
and Guinea pigs, and were found to
produce tetanic spasms, irregular action
of the heart, and death. The same
bases, obtained from other sources than
tobacco, produced similar effects. AS
the same pyridin bases arc among the
products of the distillation of opium,
Drs. Vohl and Gutenberg contrary to
the conclusions arrived at by most other
experimenters in this line-attribute the
effects produced by smoking this drug
to the picolin series of alkaloids rather
than to morphia.
The theory just presented, novel as it
certainly seems, acquires additional in
terest from some very recent investiga-
tions on the composition of tobacco
smoke, with especial reference to the
relative preparations of carbonic acid
and carbonic oxide, made by DR..
Krause, German chemist of much en-
inence His results show that the
smoke invariably contains a considera-
BILE proportion of the very poisonous
gas, carbonic oxide, every one hundred
volumes of smoke containing, in fact,
on an average, nine and three-tenths
volumes of carbon oxide and twelve and
two-tenths of carbonic acid. This be-
ing the case, and as smoker never ex-
pels all his smoke, but must absorb
more or less of it by means of his lungs,
DR.. Krause thinks it clear that the evil
effects of so deleterious gas as carbonic
oxide are not only not to be overlooked,
but that it seems likely that some of the
evils'usually attributed to nicotine may,
with more fairness, be credited to this
highly poisonous gas.
In view of all these various expert
ments and their results, it would seem
that if tobacco were employed only for
its smoke, and not for the physiological
effects which the smoke produces, it
would be easy to substitute for it some
inoffensive substance, or even to abstain
entirely from its use, unless, indeed, the
mere mechanical operation of breathing
gas through the tube of pipe or cigar
is not all. the pleasure of smoking, or the
odor of tobacco, aside from its special
influence, does not have sufficient at
traction. 1t is not difficult to conceive
that persons may become habiiuat-
ed to the use of tobacco thus deprived of
its peculiar qualities, when it is consid-
cred how many substances are now
largely consumed and enjoyed as sub
stitutes for coffee, which, in reality, are
destitute of all the fine qualities of that
berry. ,s..., s