The Brookhaven leader., 1884-08-07

"There Is no engine OF destruction
known to humanity to-day doing more
damage than the popular little cigar
ette,'" said Mr.. j. M. Latin, the ath-
lete to San reporter. The reporter
thereupon questioned Mr.. Latin, and
he talked something as follows:
Fifteen years ago. IN this city, .
Frenchman named Bedervisian manu-
featured the first American cigarette.
He began with only six women assist
ants. An American cigarette was q
novelty, and attracted considerable at
tention. But Bedervisian lacked capt.
tai, and his cigarette mandatory soon
ceased to exist.
Two years later, in 1871, Francis 8.
Kinney began the manufacture of cigar-
cites. Having ample capital, he en-
tered into the field to stay, and the
Kinney Brothers to-day employ nearly
o thousand operatives, q large proper
ton OF them being women. They are
paid by piece work, and, while few
can earn over 81 q week, many earn
only from $3.50 to % q week. =.
Alfred Ozanne was for q whilea rival
OF Kinney, but he soon disappeared and
of late years the cigarette business has
been practically in the hands Of only
three firms. a. To's ~
Some idea Of the magnitude of the
business can be formed, from the fact
that in 1889 nearly GOO, 600, 600 cigar
cites were manufactured in this country,
of which New York City furnished
AZ, 092, 1867. =..-
One hundred and eighty-two different
brands Of cigarettes have been manu-
factnred in fifteen years. OF these sew
enty.one have had their day. The
nomenclature has exercised great
deal of ingenuity, but there Is more var
iety in the names than in the tobacco
One sort of tobacco has been known to
supply the material for sixteen different
brands.
There have been comparatively few
novelties or improvements introduced
in the manufacture of cigarettes. The
original Americon cigarettes had mouth
pieces, in imitation Of the European ar
ticle. Mouthpieces have been made Of
glass, cork. and husks, but the vast
majority of cigarettes have no mouth
pieces, Cigarettes with mouthpieoes
sold originally, for twenty cents q pack
age Nov. without mouthpieces, they
retail at ten cents q package.
1t is asserted that The tobacco used
in the manufacturing of the cheapest
known cigars is of better grade than
that used in the manufacture of the
most popular cigarettes. The tobacco
used in cigarettes is -aduterated with
saltpetre. to prevent the tobacco from
moulding. The effect Of the indrodue-
ton of saltpeter into the human system
is said by medical men to be highly in
furious to the vital functions. The oil
of the paper used for cigarette wrappers
has been pronounced to be more PERM
cious in itself than even the Oil Of
tobacco. The paper wrappers, con-
trary to the usual rule with burning
paper, burns white. This is caused by
their being previously subjected to the
notion of acids and chemical agents.
The vast majority Of cigarette
smokers are boys from the ages of six
to eighteen years. Young clerks, mes
senger boys, students in schools and
colleges and the like. Since the intro
| duction of the American cigarette the
number of smokers has enormously in
creased, and the increase has been
chiefly in the younger portion of the
community.
In regard to the results Of cigarette
smoking, physicians say it affects Sc
riously the functions of the stomach,
especially ia the young. It has o ten
dency to increase the action of the
heart, causing palpitation. It is a
fruitful source OF indigestion. 1t has a
decided tendency to produce catarrh
in the head. This, it is said, arises
from the fact that q cigarette, being
much shorter than a cigar, more OF
the smoke finds its way into the mouth
and nasal organs, very much larger
percentage of smoke being inhaled by
the smoker from cigarette than from
a cigar. Cigarette smoking, it Is
averred, has also decided tendency 10
produce asthma, and renders the sys-
tenn more liable to the attacks of pneu-
monia and bronchitis. In its effects
upon the nervous system cigarette
smoking is said to be in the highest de-
gree pernicious both directly and indi-
rectly. 1t destroys healthy appetite for
solid food, and by the constant expectO-
ration it produces leads to q morbid
craving for drink. Injury or destruc-
ton of the nerves of the eyes, it is al
legged, has been in hundreds of instances
produced by cigarette smoking.
| The following letter from.a promi-
nent physician of Brooklyn sums up
some Of the views that doctors take OF
cigarette smoking: Ell BE-
| "If one could select q fine healthy boy Of
! from twelve to fifteen years of age, well
/ known for his fine physique, even disposition
! and great strength, and start him in his career
! as a cigarette smoker under the observant eye
| of the public, what results might not accrue
! from such example as the panorama was un
; folded to them2
"The decay of physical power, emaciatior
| the irritable temper, the sallOw complexion
| the drawn and anxious look, the unsteadiness
/ of the hands, the dyspepsia, the capriciouf
| appetite, the aversion to parental and Other
| ad vice, the niency to keep lower cOmpani
| onship, could hardly fail to leave its impress
| upon such an audience"
"More especially in the nervous diathesis
! does this rapid decay make itself apparent
and in varying degrees according to the
! amount of indulgence Physicians daily watch
| this process with pain and anxiety for those
| Entrusted to their care Indeed, Ii my owr
| professional experience were to be my guide,
could declare the evil of cigarette smoking
to be even greater than that OF alcohol
Girls are also becoming smokers Of
4 Il ~.