The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1881-07-15

A reporter of the Philadelphia Times
has been investigating the manufacture of
cigarettes respecting their authorizations,
and writes as follows upon the subject
There is a certain brand of cigarettes
regarded as the most saleable 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 on an average
of five hundred Thousand day, and the
profits of the proprietor of the brand are
said to be a third of a million dollars
year Valerian and tincture of opium are
extensively used In the manufacture of the
cigarettes. The tobacco, which is
Virginia production and naturally of a
pretty stray color, is rendered dark,
soggy and greasy by the process to
which it is subjected. An experienced
tobacconist can detect the presence of
valerian by the smell. The drugs i'm
part sweet and pleasant flavor and
have soothing effect, that in little
time obtain a fascinating control over
the smoker. The more cigarettes he
smokes the more he desires to smoke,
just as is the case with one who uses
opium. The desire grows into passion.
The smoker becomes a slave to the
enervating habit. To the insiduous eff
feet of the drugs is attributed the very
success with which this particular brand
has met Unfortunately that success
has caused an army of imitators to spring
up, and every day almost some new
brand of drugged cigarettes is placed on
the market. By the use of drugs it is
possible to make very inferior quality
of tobacco pleasant. Manufacturers,
therefore, put these vile things on the
| market at price that makes it easy for
the poorest to indulge in their killing
delights, and boys and youths go in
"Havana favoring' has grown to be an
important article of commerce. Thou
sands of barrels of it are sold every
where It is extensively used in manu-
featuring certain kinds of cigarettes. 1t
is made from the tonca-bean, which
contains drug called mellolotis, dead
| ly poison, seven grains of which will kill
dog. Imagine the effect which must
result from putting that vile stuff into
the lungs hour after hour.
The paper coverings are also fruitful
source of evil to the cigarette smoker.
| There are three sorts of paper in common
use, made respectively from cotton and
linen rags and rice straw. There is a
fourth kind, which is dipped into a solu-
ton 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 scrapings of
rag-pickers. Vile as it is, it is bought
up in great masses by agents of the
manufacturers, who turn it into dlngy
pulp and subject it to a bleaching pro-
cess to make it presentable. The lime
and other substances used in bleaching
have a very harmful influence upon the
membrane of the throat and nose Cotton
paper is so cheap that q thousand
cigarettes can be wrapped with it at a
cost of two cents. Rice paper is not so
much used, as it is rather more expensive.
It il sometimes adulterated with linen or
cotton to make it cheaper. The average
smoker cannot distinguish between the
commonest and the best qualities Of
: paper. One who knows something of
the trade can, however, perceive the diff
ference at a glance. 'TObacconlzed'
paper is manufactured. 1t Is common
paper saturated with tobacco and marked
, In such way as to initiate the veins in
the tobacco leaf very neatly. At first
glimpse it would pass for the genuine
! article It is used for making imitation
: call tobacco" cigarettes and to a con
siderable extent for wrapping the cheaper
sorts of cigars. By immersing the paper
! in water the tobacco can be readily
, separated from it. ..
, Arsenical preparations, it is said, are
: used in bleaching most cigarette papers
: and oil of creosote is produced naturally
as consequence of combustion. The
! IaI57g mas most injurious effect upon
the membrane OF Lne UIIle--t---,1 ---I,e,-,
: the lungs and is said to accelerate the
development of consumption in anyone
! predisposed to the disease. A leading
tobacco merchant, speaking of the fact
that SO many thousands go on com
placently smoking paper-covered cigar
cites, notwithstanding their well known
pernicious effects, said that cigarettes
wrapped in pure tobacco leaves, while
, less injurious, would be much more eZ-
> pensive, and that besides people in time
grow to prefer the pungent flavor of the
! burning paper with the tobacco to that
of the latter alone.