The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1884-03-27
Fun That May Kill.

Among the number OF bright bows who
had act QUITO become business men was
lad fifteen years Of age. employed in a
lawyers Office. During his leisure hours
and on Sundays he was in the habit of
smoking cigarettes. the smoke of which
he Inhaled. From this he passed to
chewing tobacco, and it is said that when
he WAS not smoking cigarette he al
ways had tobacco in his mouth, and occa.
sionally combined the two. His parents
endcavored TO break him Of the habit,
but all they could say and do had no eff.
feet. His health soon began TO fail rap.
idly, and lis family, who were not aware
that tobacco would la e such injurious
effects, iancied that his weakness was
caused by the close con incment which
he had TO undergo at his place of bust.
ness.
He soon became so i'll that he could
not sleep at night. and his appetite began
10 fail. His countenance WAS very sallow.
and be had severe headaches. Finally
his mother took him to see physician,
who, on examining him, taought that he
wns suffering from want OF the right kind
4 OF had, and prescrihsd tonics and things
that are nOurishing and strengthening.
But instead of improving in health, the
poor lai constantly grew worse, and was
soon confined 10 his bed The doctor
then learned that the boy had been ad-
dlctcd to the excessive use of tobacco in
every form, and he came to the conclu-
sion that his patient vas suffering from
nicotine poisoning. Nothing that could
be done had any cilrc in restoring the.
suffering boy. lie fingered for about
week, when congestion OF the lungs Sc,
in, and the heart began to fail in its
functions. This was the beginning of
the end. Within twenty-four hours he
was dead, killed by the foolish habit he
had formed Of smoking cigarettes aud
chewing tobacco.
a gentleman who writes n good deal
for Young Proptc, on making inquiries of
one of the largest manufacturers Of ciya.
rcltes in this city, was Informed that The
annual average Of cigarettes consumed
in this country amounts to not less than
thousand millions.
Now perhaps this statement in itself is
not so very wonderful, when we think of
the number Of people in this country of
ours; but take it in connection with the
fact that the consumption Of tobacco and
cigars has not decreased in that time.
ant one naturally asks how it is that
such IN increase can be had in one form
Of smokers articles without falling off
in the other forms of the material.
"A gentleman who has two large retail
tobacco stores, on being asked the reason
Of this increased demand, said that so tar
as his experience could be relied upon,
it was due mainly to the fact that ihey
were consumed largely by boys who took
their lessons in smoking by the use of
these miniature cigars.
Now, let us see if we cannot find out n
few facts about tho materials that 20 to
make up these cigarettes which are so
universally used:
Five years ago, there were but few
cigarettes made in this country, and at
that time the ends of cigars which were
thrown into the streets were considered
worthless, unless it was TO some of the
newsboys and boot blacks who were will.
ing to put great deal of dirt into their
mouths for the sake of smoke. Three
years ago, the demand for American
then the ends Of cigars that had been
thrown away had such value that the
Italian Immigrants in New York city be.
gan TO gather them from the streets, and
today there are on Crosby and Mott
streets alone, as has been found from per.
sonal inquiry, over q hundred men who
make living by gathering :his refuse
tobacco. That number may be found on
two streets and i. is certainly safe 10
say there are others in the lme business.
Is it not just a trife cd that rs the
demand for cigarettes increased SO did
that for cigar stubs? A member of a
large cigarette manufacturing company
said to the writer "You have heard Of
the new alkaloid from tobacco which n
French chemist has just discovered
Well, our chemist was on the point of
making that discovery just as it was an.
uounced to the world, and assure you
it is one of the most powerful of poisons,
being very similar to sulphuric acid" ,
1t is well known that tobacco acts to a
certain extent upon the brain as liquor
does. Not long ago, a gentleman who
was anxious to know how this stimulant
or narcotic-since it acts on different
natures in both ways-might affect the
brain of growing boy, asked ono Of the
leading physicians in this city what his
opinion was in regard 10 the matter. This
is what the physician replied:
Il can tell you what you want to know,
or can tell you how to find out, without
any of the big words you are afraid of.
Smoke ono cigarette, then put clean
cambric handkerchief to your mouth, and
breathe through it two or three minutes.
You will find yellow deposit which
went into your lungs, and if you have any
common sense you can tell yourself
whether it is likely to be injurious" !"
Had this physician known OF the story
with which this article begins, he could
have said to what extent it might be in.
furious.
Tobacco does not often kill people
for we know lots of old men who have
always used it, and they are as lively as
crickets," como bright bog mGy nrgs.
But, if he wili study into the matter a
little further, he will probably find out
that these men either did not use tobacco
when they were growing boys. but only
when they became men, with their minds
and bodies developed and hardened to
endurance, or that they had strong con.
stitutions, such Us We seldom find among
our city lads Of to-day.
And now, boys, for last argument
even though it seems trivial one after
the terribly sad story which has been told
you. This smoking of cigarettes makes
you ridiculous. Grown people think you
. silly, and laugh at you when they see yo,,
trying to be men by this silly caricatur.
ing Of what all grown up smokers them
selves pronounce foolish and senseiess
habit.-Har7er's Young People.
, A wide mouthed bottle, filled with
, chloride of lime and water, and placed