Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1882-11-29
THE TOBACCO QUESTION,

NJ 3uley is at the head of a French
association whose object is to decry the
use of tobacco, and the title OF the Or
ganization is "La Societe Contre pAbus
de Tauac." The weed is inveighed
against in its '''~Homic and hygienic. as
poets. Frau" :pends every year in
tobacco 1852, 300, UOOf., or about 800, 000,-
OOO. Before 1884 French people were
only moderate smokers, though great
shutters, but since that period, though
snufing has sen7bly diminished, <mok-
ing has enormously increased. Chewing
is rare in France, being considered as
coarse habit, carriers and sailors only be-
ing masticators Of the weed. In France
the government, recognizing how uni
versal is the habit Of smoking, gives
every one of her soldiers, for his IL
days OF consumption, 100 gram mes of
smoking tobacco, tabac dc cantanc, for
which he is charged only 3 cents. TO
provide the soldier with tobacco is con-
sidered by some French military authori-
ties as almost a necessity. In Gen.
Brack's ''Traite les Avant Postes" he
insists that the cavalry soldier should
cultivate the use OF tobacco, as it makes
him more alert and indifferent to hun.
ger or thirst. In opposition to thus DIR.
Blanchet, an army surgeon, insists that,
inquiring into the effects of smoking in
the ranks, the illness Of many men could
be traced to the abuse OF tobacco. 1t
produced ulcers of the lips, the mouth,
tongue, and nose, necrosis, gastralgia,
gastritis, and enteritis, with vertigo,
mental debility, aud even transient at
tacks of mania. It should be noticed
that the French surgeon cites oil
these ills as arising from the abuse
of tobacco. Sir benjamin Brodie
thought that tobacco in moderation
acted as sedative on the nervous sys-
tenn, especially when in q condition of
excitement, worry, or physical fatigue,
but that its abuse brought with it many
terrible diseases. Experiences in our
civil war induced the same conclusions.
Over use Of any stimillant is hurtful,
and there are many men, strictly tenn
perate, who were not smokers who are
suffering to-day from nervous diseases
brought on by the over-usc Of strong
coffee, taken by them while in service.
Is cigarette smoking hurtful? That is
a question often discussed. We are to.
day among the great cigarette smokers
of tue world. If cigarettes be prejudi'
cial to health, 1t must arise from the
paper. Now, this paper can be nothing
else than pure lignose or wood fibre; Il
it we're made Of hemp, there might pos
sibly arise some source of danger to the
Fsmoker, though it is quite unlikely thai
any Of the pernicious qualities of hemp
would survive the manufacturing pro-
cesses paper pulp is put to. Such pyro
liugneous Installations as come from the
paper could hardly be more hurtful thar
those arising from the tobacco itself
Where the danger of cigarettes arises il
from heir-cheapness, which permits too
many of them to be smoked, and because
they aye ;gge tting Tito use. by urchins 9
all ranks who are not more thau 10 years
old. Smoking when INDUCED in by boy
is as pefnicious habit as if they com
menced to tipple, Itst,1nts their growth
! destroys digestion, o;,scures vision, and
rendering them nervous, induces then
to seek such stimnlant as can be foun'
in alcoholic .huids.sN **"a F~f~> - rs>