Mexico weekly ledger. (Mexico, Mo.) 1855-1956, 1885-07-09
DISEASE IN THE CIGAR.
Smokers Who Reap the Consequences
Of Infection.

Who Reap the Consequences
OF Infection.
From che New York Commercial Advertiser. |
The Commercial Advertiser some
time ago referred to the evils of MAX
ing cigars in tenement houses, where |
men, women and children, sick with
contagious diseases, continue their
work unabated, since to stop work is
to do without food. Oftentlmes the
invalid, in the last stages of disease,
is obliged to bunch leaves for his
healthy companions in order to pro-
long his life.
1t has been grave question
among smokers whether or not to-
bacco is medium of infection. It
has been popularity believed that the
aromatic qualities of the leaf destroy
the germs of the disease much after
the manner that the simple odor of
carbolic acid is supposed to prevent
the spread Of contagiou. In Cuba,
during the cholera epidemic twenty
years ago, tobacco leaves were
burned in chatting dishes in the sick
room, and usually caused the death
of the patient by suffocation. A
room treated in this way was sup
posed to be cleansed from any dam
ger of infection.
At the Bureau Of Contagious Dis
eases of the Health Department in
quiry was made this morning whether
tobacco can carry infection. One Of
the oldest physicians in the service
replied: "There can be no doubt Of
it. Tobacco may carry infection as
we'll as anything else in nature that
has pores and is capable ofabsorbing
moisture. This question has been an
interesting one to the Board of
Health on account Of the recent ac-
ton in the legislature in regard to
the manufacture of cigars in tene-
ment houses. 1t was proved by the
authors of the bill, which sought to
restrict such manufacture, that the
health of the community was endan-
gered by the practice. The gravest
questions were brought forward and
discussed in regard to the danger
from the tenement houses, and it was
conceded by every right thinking man
that blood poisonings, always mys-
terious in their workings, might be
produced and accelerated by the
smoking Of cigars made by diseased
persons. Some little time ago we
had occasion to investigate a case Of
death from smallpox. We went to
the tenement where the man died
and found it was almost exclusively
occupied by cigar makers. In the
room where the death occurred were
two persons sick from the disease
one of whom was nearly dead and the
other calmly making cigars. We i'm
mediately isolated the family, disin
fected the tenement, traced the cigar.
so far as we could and seized and de
stroyed them. Had this family no
been discovered as soon as it wa
there can be no estimation of tn,
spread of the disease. The cigal
makers, especially those living ant
working in tenements, are Bohemians
They are the hlthiest people we hav'
in this city-worse, in fact, than tn
J lowest class of Italians. They resis
vaccination forcibly, and we have ha'
many times to call in the police t
assist us. In fact so wide-sprea,
, among them is this dread of vaccina
tion that at the time I speak Of a Be
: hemian priest spoke from the altar Q
one of their churches in this city an
!, counseled them to resist the Boar
: of Health to the utmost. As in thi
case SO in all others where the healt
l officers came in contact with thes
people.
"Briefiy, no man who smokes Gig
r ars or cigarettes is free a momeI
7 from the danger of becoming infec
|, ed with some contagious disease {
the most disgusting character"
n A case was mentioned of a gentl,
I man of this city who was attacked b
diphtheria of the most virulent cha
! acter Believing there was some d
f fective plumbing in his house he ha
o a sanitary engineer inspect it, and
his surprise 1t was pronounced pc
:, feet so far as sanitation was CO
: cerned, but the gentleman was a gre
IS smoker.
"That," interrupted the docto
; "explains the case. The gentlem'
i you refer to had evidently smoked
It cigar which had been made by pc
o son who was either suffering from
recovering from case of diphtheri
The cigar maker probably used b
saliva to moisten the end Of his Gig
and left the germs of disease reat
le for infection. In the circumstanc
Z related there Is no doubt in my mil
IT that the smoker caught the disea
d fhr ;pfonf;ax, from, hiS oiuor Tf