Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1882-10-19
Tobacco and its Effects.
Continued from last Week

QUESTION 4. "In the treatment
of any particular class of disease, or OF
wounds and injuries, have you met
with any serions difficulty due to the
habitual use of tobacco BY the patient?
If so give details"
The answers to this may be classified
as follows: Seventy per cent. answer
yes. Twenty-Five per cent. say no,
and the remainder make 40 reply.
"Inasmuch as the excessive use of
tobacco interferes with nutrition and
absorption, should We not expect a
depressing effect upon the growth and
repair of tissues? And since tobacco
is universally acknowledged as a
facilitating agent, we should not be
likely to look for a rapid building up
of injured tissues under its use I
have never had good results, and never
expect to have them, in cases where
tobacco has been applied directly to
wounds, as if foolish practice with many
working men; in not a few cases in
which extensive injuries have been
done up with tobacco and kept in that
condition for length of time, the
process of repair has been much
retarded"
''In one instance [ had case in
which a person had bitten his tongue
while smoking a cigar; the wound
seemed to be poisoned, and extensive
inflammation and liberation followed,
with serious results
81 have seen instances where death
had followed severe injuries, the
patients having been habitual users of
tobacco, in which [ could attribute the
fatal result to no other cause than the
depression of the vital powers result
ing from long use of the weed
"It is scarcely possibl, to compre-
bend the amount of harm tie use of
tobacco produces in some cases of
venereal disease. [ think it may safely
be said that severe syphilitic or goner-
rheal cases more frequently pas
uncured than cured if the patient
Continues the excessive use o
tobacco"
QUESTION 5. "Have you observed
any local effects of tobacco upon the
mucous membrane of the nose, the
, throat, the ear, which leads you tc
suspect that it acts as a predispOsine
cause of Catarrh or other disease? /
so, give Details
Sixty eight per cent. of the reptile.
to this question are in the affirmative
thirty per cent. in the negative. One
''has cured several cases Of Catarrh by
Withdrawing the use Of tobacco
Another regards the constant use o.
tobacco as the source of chronic
inflammation of the throat and fauces
that can never be misunderstood BY
an experienced eye"
II have seen liberation of the lips
in those addicted to constant use Of
tobacco which was traceable directly
thereto; in not a few cases Catarrh
was present. manifested by a nasaI
sound in talking, due to the thickening
of the lining membrane Of the pose
and its appendages.
Il have met with many cases OF
congestion Of the pharyngeal mucous
membrane, sometimes extending to the
ear and sometimes TO the larynx, pro-
ducing hoarseness. It would seem
that the pongent oil of the tobacco
volatilized by the heat constitutes the
exciting cause-at least I have always
found such diseased condition difficult
to reach except by requiring the
unconditional surrender of its use;
usually thereafter has been easy ana
successful"
81 have observed that in some case.
smoking has produced Eczem;
of the nasal mucous membrane anC
chronic Copjunctivitis; have also seer
irritable cough and, in few instances
violent heart disturbance and gastric
irritation, all of which have disap
peared upon stopping the use o
tobacco"
QUESTION 6. "Have any cases o
the following diseases come under you
observation which you believe to have
caused by the use of tobacco: Ga,
liberation of the lips; CD Epithelica
cancer of the lips or mouth; Co An,
local disease of tongue, gums, tonsils
pharynx, etc? If SO. give particu
lars"
The replies to this question may b.
arranged as follows: (a) eighty-on,
per cent. answers yes; CD ffty-nin'
per cent answer yes, twenty-five pc
cent say no, sixteen per cent. give nj