Knoxville daily chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1882, 1881-11-15


The Dangers to Which Boys Who Smoke
are Exposed---A Moderate Use of
Tobacco Not Hurtful to Adults
The Opinions of Physicians.
From the New York Tribune,
Cigarette smoking among the boys of
New York is q vice rapidly increasing.
within the reach of the poorest urchin of
the street, while among the middle classes
they have largely displaced the cigar. The
manufacture of cigarettes in the pest year
is reported to have greatly exceeded the
production of the year preceding. The
quality of the paper and tobacco, 10 the
almost innumerable brands of cigarettes in
the market, and the prev ence OF the habit
of cigarette smoking, are matters of ilnpor-
lance from hygienic point of view. D..
VIM A. HsmmJ nd Was questioned on the
subject by q Tribune reporter recently.
=. While am very we'll satisfied" said
the Doctor. THAT the moderate use Of to-
bacco by smoking cigars is not injurious to
male adults l am equally strongly con-
WINGED that the use of tobacco IN any form
Is injurious to young persons and women,
So far from tobacco being Injurious t, adult
males, l believe it is bent fcIal to both of
tissues, makes food 60 further than it
otherwise would aud enables a man to look
with calmness and complacency on the
every day troubles of life which otherwise
might overcome him. 1t prevents those
depressing emotions which, of all things.
are calculated to wear mans life away.
At the same time it must be admitted that
there are some persons even among adult
men to whom tobacco ls poisonous, just as
| ster
and strawberries are poisonous. but they
are exceptions, and not to be considered ss
guides for those who have tried the mod
crate use of tobaccO and found it is not in
furious. But when that is said OF tobacco
everything IS said that can be i'll It's favor.
1t is ndoubtedIy highly injurious to per-
sons whose nervous systems are not deVel>
oped, or TO women, who naturally have
more delicate organizations than men, and
consequently are more susceptible to seda~
tive or exciting Influences.
IF children smoke cigars they destroy
| theiE nervous systems before they are fully
| formed and render themselves liable to
neuralgia and various functional diseases
| of the brain which are certainly calculated
to destroy their mental force. There is
also some evidence to show that tobacco in
young persons actually interteres with the
development of the body in regard to size
that 1t stunts their physical system. 1t
certainly impairs digestion, for they can
not use tobacco without splitting inordinaLt =
~. he saliva expelled from their bodies
Is one Of the most important of the diges-
tive fluids, and the proper digestion of the
food In the stomach is materially interfsred
with when there is not enough saliva lett 10
mix with the food before IL is swallowed
Again, it certainly impsirs hearing and
eyesight. l have seen several Instances of
young children having their eyesight in
jured seriously, IT not lrreparably, by the
use of to bacco. The excessive use Of tobac-
| co is Injurious to every body, adults as well
| AS intaits males as we'll rs female, but il
must be distinctly understood that it is no
| argument against the mode ate and decent
use of it by persons healthy aid malurely
| constituted who find it dos them good
DANGER OF THE EABIT.
Now as to cirgsrette smoking 1t is
| injurious to everybody, practiced Is il
| ordinarily is by inhaling the smoke in the
| lungs. The use of cigarettes has been in
creased to u most extraordinary degree il
| this country in the last ten years. l have
already seen the ill effects of il in my prac-
tice in the production of facial Leuragia,
| Insomnia, nervous dyspepsia, sciatca nd
an indi3pOsition to mental exertion. In
young persons all these ttfec are seen
! with much greater intensity and conse-
/ Qu60tiy Inc euSCL upon tu6U Is very u NC d
worse than upon adults. In France, The
difference between those who smoke ed
cigarettes in the Polytechnic Schools and
those who did not, as regarded their positio n
IN their classes was SO great that the Cow
eminent has prohibited absolutely the use
Of tobacco in all the government schools
Some time ago was consulted BY Commo-
| dore Foxhall Parker, then superlnlena ent
| OF the Naval Academy at Annapolis, rela-
| htt rs
| cadets to smoke. He stated in his letter
that it was almost al impOssibility to pros
| hiblt the practice, and he put the question
| whether it wasn't better to allow them to
| smoke under regulations than to punish
| them constantly for violation of rules.
| replied that hat was matter Of discipline,
| but that SD far rs the effects Of tobacco were
| concerned l b d no hesitation in saying
| that its influences would be injurious
to the cadets, and that l had constant evil
dence of it in my private practice and il
the course OF my observation otherwise.
Commodore Parker replied that he though,
what said was right, but that other con-
| siderations compelled him to allow the ca
! diets to smoke. he did So and think the
| effect upon Them has been Injurious. 1t ls
perfectly absurd to suppose that because 8
man can use tooacco with impunity, an in
FAINT, as boys are, Can do the same. 1t would
|
and cabbage constitute nutritious dish fol
| an adult, therefore a babe at the breas
should be fed OH II. Tobacco, to be useiu
ia any form, should be used only be adult
of fully matured nervous and phys cal or
ganization. As to chewing, that is entirely
out of The question, for it is not only filth,
and disgusting. but is productive Oi muct
more deelerious effects upon the digestive
system without corresponding beneficial
effect upon the other parts of the body.
see great many CubAns suf ring iron
nervous affections induced by excessive u.s.
Of cigarettes"
"Do you find much difference between
paper and tobacco cigarettes2'
Paper cigarett are worse than the to
bacco, as the former produce empyreuma
tic oil, which contains creosote in larg
quantities. Paper cigarettes are simpl
vileness intensified. l can hardly conceiv
of any body wanting the soothing, quietin
effect Of tobacco who wCult be satisfe
with paper cigarette. 1t is descendiD
from the sublime to the ridiculous Cat
bage leaves are better than paper. Thin
the best cigarettes are made in Dresde
with paper mouthpieces. see boys in III
street three and four years old smoking
To day I stopped a little wretch and too
away from him long, strong cigar tbs
would have made me quail. As to tn
practice of smoking cigar stumps it
OF pp1u viIloinnpo al 10 hind of