Dodge City times. [volume] (Dodge City, Kan.) 1876-1892, 1878-02-02


and animals has recently been actively
revived among medical men abroad, in
siigated chiefly, it would seem, by the
very remarkable experiments made by
DIR. Smith, an eminent English ply
stefan, and by him communicated TO the
British Association, and the no less in
teresting researches in the same line bv
DIR. Lebon of Paris.
Briefly stated, DR. Smith aims to show
that while tobacco-smoking causes a
large increase in the rate of pulsatiOn of
some persons, in Others no increase oc-
curs-the fact being, therefore, that
there is a diversity in the mode of action
in the case Of this substance, as there is
unquestionably known TO be in its good
or evil effects upon mind and body in
different persons.
In pursuing his investigation, DIR.
Smith operated on an individual whom
be induced to prepare for the test BY
sitting absolutely still until the pulse
stood at an average of about 154 beats
per minute. The patient then began to
smoke pipe, and, during the first five
minutes OF smoking the effects
were comparatively slight; the
pulse, however, increased in firmness
and fullness, standing at an average of
as $40 per minute. During the next Ii
minutes, the frequency of the pulse was,
successfully, 81, IS, "a, 9s, 102, 102. l05, |
l05, lOi, lO5. los, l07, 107, 10, and there |
was an increased sense of warmth, to-
gether with slight perspiration on the
brow. Smoking was now stopped, and,
during the next minute, the pulse rose
to 1l2; but it then began steadily to
decline, until, at the end of half an hour
from the commencement of the smok-
ing, il was at little less than 80. For
more than two hours it remained above
the natural average of frequency and
force.
The time of 10 O'Clock p. m is as
signed by DIR. Smith as the proper one
for thus instltuting tests as to the action
of tobacco, and, previous to such tests,
no food should be taken for four hours.
He also considers that to literary men,
on whom tobacco may be found to pro-
duce this kind of stimulant effect, it
would be an efficient substitute for the
wine which they so frequently take TO
assist them in brain-work which is done
late at night; when, however, the body
is of full habit, it must lead to disturbed
sleep and may produce apoplexy.
Though of somewhat different char
acter from the preceding, the researches
of DIR. Lebon are to be regarded as per-
haps even more reliable and conclusive,
from their even wider range and detail, I;
the most important results being briefly I
as follows:
In the first place, according TO NJ.
Lebon, smokers and persons who. with |
out smoking, are enveloped in an at |
Of tobacco smoke, absorb for Q
each quantity of ten grammes of tobac- I
20 proportion of nicotine varying .
rom some centigrammes to a gramme,
and also absorb about an equal amount o
If ammonia; as, therefore, the quantity b
If tobacco consumed daily by single :
addicted to its use is scarcely t
ess than twenty grammes, smoker is
liable, therefore, to absorb daily twenty l.
i've centigrames of nicotine, with an q
equal proportion of ammonia.
OF all kinds of smoking, the most e
dangerous, as shown by NJ. Lebon, is t,
hat of smoking a cigar or cigarette, q
md swallowing the smoke, while the
east dangerous is that of smoking a C
larshile, or pipe, with long tube, in t.
hs open air. ii
fhe effect produced by the result of 81
he condensation of tobacco smoke is, r,
e says, analogous to that OF nicotine Al
there must be added the X
fleets produced by the ammonia, which in
he smoke contains in considerable 81
quantity; the resinous semi-liquid, bl
7hich condenses in the interior of the q,
ipe, is ascertained to contain consid- W
rable proportion of nicotine in all OF
ases, and the fact is the substance is VI
ut little less poisonous than nicotine tv
self, and is known to rapidly destroy in
ne life OF animals exposed TO its ac- pc
on. m
The liquid product which condenses ID