Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1882-11-09
Tobacco AMI its Effects
lCnntinned from last Week. ]

Excellent reading Tor all. AIKEN
from DR.. G. f. Writer'S monograph
in the Report of the State Board OF
Health.
QUESTION 8. What is your opinion,
founded on your own. experience, as
to the effects of tobacco in producing
diseases of the brain and nervous sys-
tenn, e. g., Congestion, Apoplexy,
Epilepsy, Paralysis, Nervousness, In
potence, etc.?'
OF the replies to this question,
ninety per cent, say that the writers
believe tobacco to be the cause OF
such diseases in many instances. Six
per cent. give no answer.
One thinks that he has met few
cases where such diseases could be
traced to the effects of tobacco.
During thirty six years Of medical
practice have had unusual opportu-
nifty of seeing various forms of brain
disease; have treated Epilepsy, Paral-
ysis, Congestion, ApopIexy, Nervous
ness and impotence which [ knew were
traceable to the use of tobacco from
the fact that when the habit was given
up the patients recovered. | have
frequently met with persons suffering
under one or another of these forms
of disease whom | knew to be smokers
and chewers, and in whom | believed
the result to be due to the tobacco
habit. f"
have treated two Epileptic cases,
and numerous cases of nervousness
directly due to tobacco.
Under certain circumstances to-
bacco will help to produce all the
troubles enumerated, and will help to
produce all the troubles enumerated,
and will help to make them worse
when they arise from other causes.
Il have no doubt that the use of
tobacco is worthy of the special atten-
ton Of practitioners of medicine as a
very frequent but unconsidered cause
of disease. | am very certain that if
the doctor directs his attention to the
subject he will find in the tobacco
habit an explanation of many obsti-
nate and dificalt cases. I do not
doubt that the excessive use of tobacco
aggravates Phthisic 7 have seen
cases Of Amanrosis that were unques-
tionably due to its use"
"Amanrosis is very common re-
suit of smoking to excess, but [ have
never seen it produced by shutting or
chewing So far as [ have been sue
cessful in treating it at all, it has
been by securing an unconditional sur
render of the use of tobacco"
Loss of memory takes place in an
extraordinary degree in smokers
QUESTION 8. "What is your opin-
ion as to the possibility of a diseased
condition of any kind being caused by
tobacco and being transmitted by in
heritance ?"
The answers to this question were
very diverse. Fifteen per cent. of
our correspondents. however, think
that a weakened and nervous state OF
the system caused by the excessive
use Of tobacco is frequently transmit
ted and manifested in the offspring.
twenty-five per cent reply that
diseased conditions from the use of
tobacco may be and doubtless often
are transmitted from parents to child
rem. Ten per cent. admit the posi-
bility of such transmission, but deny
that it is probable. Twenty per cent
think that nothing of the sort is pos
siblc, while the remainder either an
swer very indefinitely or not at ALL
Il am acquainted with two broth
ers, both of whom have been inordi-
nate lovers of tobacco from childhood.
doubtless owins to transmission of
the habit from both grandparents"
LAS the child is, as a rule, the reflex
of the parents both mentally and
physically, he will partake more or
less of the defects of their constitu-
tions; in other words his constitution
will contain the seeds, which in time
will surely develop, of faults mental
and physical. p"
Il am firmly of opinion that tobao-