Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1881-08-03
More About Cigarettes.
FROM AN INTERVIEW WITH A MANU-
FACTURER, IN THE PHILADEL-
PHIA TIMES.

FACTURER, IN THE PH1LADEL-
PHIA TIMES.
There is a certain brand Of cigarette,
regarded as the most salable on the
market, IN which enervating drugs are
used to a frightful extent. Millions OF
these cigarettes are sold annually. One
house in New York sells an average
Of five hundred thousand day, and tn,
profits OF the proprietor of the brand are
sxid to be a third OF million dollars 9
year. Valerian and tincture OF
opium are extensively used in the man
ufacturs of cigarettes. The tobacco,
which is Virginia production and
naturally OF pretty straw color. is rea-
dered dark, soggy and greasy by the
process to which it ls subjected. An
experienced tebacc cenist can detect the
presence OF valerian by the smell. The
drugs impart a sweet and pleaIaAl
flavor and have O soothing effect, that
in little time obtain fascinating con.
troll over the smoker. The moro ciga
rettes he smokes the more he desire;
to smoke, just as is the case with one
who uses opium. The desire Crews
into q passion. The smoker be-
comes a slave to the eneryating habit.
To the insidious effect of the drugs i:
attributed the very success with which
this particular brand has met. Unfor'
tunately that success has caused an
army of imitators to spring up, anC
every day almost soms new brand o.
drugged cigarettes is placed on the
market. BY the use Of drugs it is lm'
possible 10 make a very inferior quality
of tobacco pleasant. Manufacturers,
therefore, put these vile things on the
market at a price that makes it easy
fer the poorest to indulge in their kill
ing delights, aud boys and youths go in
swarms for them. What is called
"Havana havsring" has grewn to be
an important article Of commerce
Thousands of barrels of it are sold
everywhere. 1t is extensively used in
manufacturing certain kinds ofcigarettes
1t is made from the tonca bean, which
contains a drug called mellolotis, a
deadly poison, seven grains Of which
will kill a dog. Imagine the effect
which must result from putting that
vile stuff into the lungs hsar after
hour.
The paper coverings arc also fruit
full source Of evil to the cigarette smoker.
There are three sorts Of paper IN COM
mon use, made respectively from cotton
and linen rags and rice straw. There
is fourth kind, which is dipped into a
solution Of tobacco, that has lately
been put on the market. Cotton paper
is made chiefly in Trieste, Austria, and
the linen and rice paper in Paris. The
first kind is manufactured from filthy
scraplngs Of rag pickers. Vile as it is,
It is bought upin great masses by agents
Of the manufacturers, who turn 1t into a
dinpy pulp aud subject it to bleaching
process to make 1t presentable. The
lime aud other substances used IN
bleaching have a very harmful influence
upon the membrane of the throat and
nose. Cotton paper is so cheap that a
thousand cigarettes can be wrapped
With it at cost of two cents. Rice
paper ls not 30 much used, as it is
rather more expensive. 1t is some
times adulterated with linen or cotton
to make it cheaper. The average
smoker can not distinguish between
the commonest and the best qualities
of paper. One who knows something
of the trade can, however, perceive the
difference at glance. 'Tobacconized'
paper is manufactured. 1t is common
paper saturated with tobacco and mark
ed in such a way as to initiate the veins
in the tobacco leaf very neatly. At a
first glance it weuld pass for the gen.
uine article. 1t is used for making
imitation sail tobacco" cigarettes,
and to a considerable extent for wrap
ping the cheaper sort of cigars. BY
immsr,iug the paper in water the to-
bacco can be readily separated from it.
Arsenical preparations, it is said, are
used In bleaching most cigarette pa
pers, and oil Of creosots is prodaced
naturally as a consequen CO of csmbus-
ton. The latter has most injurious
effect upon the membrane of the throat
and upon the lungs, and is said to
accelerate the Development OF con-
sumption in any one predisposed to the
disease. Papers used by a variety OF
manufacturers were burned for the sat
isfaction Of the reporter; and a pun
gent, sitting oder arose from all oil
them. Que firm claims to have dis
covered a process of denudiog cigarette
paper OF its deleterious effects. Little
faith, however, is put in its professions,
and the paper used by 1t smells as vllelJ
when ignited as any other. A leading
tobacco merchant, speaking OF the fact
that SO many thousands so on conpla-
Gently smoking paper covered cigarettes
Notwithstanding their we'll known
psrnicious effects, said that cigarettes
wrapped III pure tobacco leaves, while
less injurious, would be much more ex-
pensive, and that, besides, people In
time grow 10 prefer the pungent flavor
of the burning paper with the tobacco
to that OF the latter alone. A number
Il