Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1880-01-24
EFFECTS OF SMOKING.
Doubts and Certainties on the Cues.
ton Of Injurious Resnlts.

The London lancet prints the following letter
from the late Prof Parkes, to an inquiring
friend, on the subject OF the effect OF smoking:
Ny Dear Mr.. PrdH:-I think my state OF mind
as regards tobacco Is very much what yours
seems to be. / have honestly tried TO collect
evidence from moderate smokers, both medical
men and others, and when tolerance has bee n
established, have never been able to make out
any symptoms which implied injury. In The
case OF many medical men whom have asked
TO study their own condition, the answer has
always been the Same-vlZ., they could see no
harm OF disturbance OF any function Even nm IN
who rarely were without a pipe or clgar-l
could learn OF no injury.
ON the other hand, have seen, like all OF u.s.
men complaining OF dyspepsia, nervousness,
palpitation, &C., and who were much better 1or
leaving on smoking, in fact, in these cases
there could be no doubt of an injurious enect.
In boys or IA or Is who begin to smoke, tninh
] have observed that tolerance Is Slowly at
talned. that appetite is less, ana l presume
digestion and nutrition less good ana tnaI the
complexion becomes paSty and less for1d and
clear. There was striking case OF InlS klnu In
the son OF a medical friend, VINO watched MS
son. naturally very carefully, and who told me
that The effect OF the tobacco "a good deal was
smoked was quite unmistakable. persuaded
the son to lessen his tobacco one-half, and his
health certainly improved, but he was then
young man. That some injury. therefore, Is
SON etimes produced, and especially on young
peol lie, seems to m" quite clear but 1t Is curious,
In other cases. low difficult it Is to find Ill
effects, even in the young, when the quantity is
not excessive.
AS 10 tne erect on the young even, IL Is
curious In Burrnah to see children smoking In
their mothers arms, and yet when | was
serving In Burmah, many years ago, often
saw woman walking along smoking her cigar
carrying on her hip her child OF or years DID,
who so had his or her little cigar which was
smoked with the greatest gravity. On talking
to the Burmese, (whO smoke constantly they
would never allow that even young children
were in the least damaged. When | was in
turkey tried to make inquiries Of some of the
1ntellgelt Turkish gentlemen; one or two of
them said that they thought the Turks had
learned 10 smoke from the Europeans, and had
Deen growing apathetic and dull ever since.
But Others laughed at this, and the rural Turk
who smokes good deal, Is fine, active, ener-
getic fellow.
have talked to many Germans, who all stand
out manrully for tobacco. In conclusion, con-
feSS myself quite uncertain. l can find nothing
like good evidence in books; too often forgone
conclusion, without any evidence to back It, is
given. think we must decidedly admit injury
from excess; from moderate use | can see no
harm, except, IL may be, In youth. My opinions
are, you Will see, very indefinite, and l would
II at any time you can send me any facts l
Shall be very grateful Believe me, very sin
cerely yours, E. A. PARKES
The British hedicai Journal cites an interest
ing communication from DIR. Decaisne on the
subject OF smoking, particularly as regards chill
cases of IS young people, in % of whom the
effects OF tobacco on the economy were observ
able especially In cardiac affections, palpita-
lions, and intermittenceS. He concluded by
saying that, whatever conditions may be per-
ceiyed in adult subjects, the pernicious effects
OF tobacco-smoking are incontestible in
children. Even the restricted use of to-
bacco in children leads often to
change in the blood, and sometimes to
chlorotic anRmia, paleness of the face,
emaciation, morbid sound in the carotid arter-
les palptation and intermittance of the heart,
dimunition OF the normal quantity of the blood
corpuScles, difficulty Of digestion, &C. Young
people who smoke show generally certain
sluggishness OF intelligence, and more or less
pronounced taste for strong drinks. In chill
dren who cease to smoke. and who are not
affected by any organic lesion, the disorders OF
economy which have just been mentioned, dis
appear, often very quickly, and almost always
without leaving any trace. Since 1865 DR.. De-
caiSne has commenced to examine the effects of
tobacco on women. He has observed 43 women
who present symptoms arising flom this source,
Including tntermittance of the pulse and disor-
ders In the digeS ion; and he has arrived at the
same conclusions as he arrived at in 1864. He
adds that the effects Of tobacco smoking In
women appear TO him to resemble very closely
those which he observed In children; that in
certain number OF them, as among children,
even in relatively small dose, tobacco leads
promptly to the symptoms of an9ma, as well
as intermitten pulse, and develops for the most
a 10 10 TORS rinly,