River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1885-12-24
BOYS AND CIGARETTES.

Since our last allusion to the evil of
cigarette smoking we have accumulated
some valuable testimony on the subject
Perhaps the most interesting, on ac-
count of its immediate local bearing,
comes from the superintendent of the
public schools. Mr.. N. l.. Bishop. Mr..
Bishop is authority for the statement
that cigarette smoking prevails to a
deplorable extent among the boys at
tending the schools in this city. He
says further that the boys who are
addicted to this pernicious habit show
such unmistakable evidence of the in
diligence that he can pick out the cigar
cite smokers at sight. The boys who
smoke are dull in appearance, as if
slightly stupefied by the fumes of the
tobacco. They are also stupid in their
mental work and fall behind in their
studies. This testimony is especially
valuable as showing the mental effect
of smoking upon the boys, and is the
result of wide and studious observa-
ton in the various departments of the
schools.
Superintendent Bishops statements
concerning the ruinous physical effe cts
are reinforced by the recent report
of Major Houston of the United States
marine corps, concerning the medical
examination of candidates for naval
apprenticeship. Major Houston
makes the remarkable revelation that
between eighty and ninety per cent. of
the juvenile applicants are physically
disqualified on account of heart disease
and similar ailments induced by cigar
cite smoking. A few days ago seven
out of eight boys who were examined
at the navy yard as candidates for the
navy had heart trouble, and all suffer-
ed from defective eyesight on account
of cigarette smoking.
This revelation has excited wide
spread interest, and the government
officers at Washington have received
numerous letters inquiring for furthur
pan ticulars Medical Director Gihon
has instituted an investigation into the
the subject, and is now examining the
cases at the navy yard with great
thoroughness. His inquiry has thus
far more than borne out Major Hous-
tons statement. Major Houston is
said to regard the evil such grave
one that he will prepare for presenta-
ton to the next congress a bill making
it an offense to sell cigarettes to boys
under fifteen years of age.
Such law, if passed by congress,
could of course only apply to the Dis
trict of Columbia; but in the absence of
a state law. some other means must be
employed to eradicate the evil here. In
Newark, N. j., cigarette smokers are
expelled from the schools. There may
be diverse views as to the eXpediency of
such a measure; but there are other
ways in which much may be accom-
plished. In the first place, the boys
might be made to realize, by means of
direct, personal lecture, or by the
compulsory study of printed pam
phlet. what perniciOus habit they are
indulging in. They should be told that
they are contracting various diseases of
the body; weakening their eyesight and
dulling their mental powers. If posi-
BILE, they should be made to understand
that they are forming an expensive
habit which they do not know whether
they will be able to afford when they
come to earn their daily bread; and if
this habit becomes fastened upon them,
and they cannot afford to indulge it,
they expose themselves to the tempta-
tion of resorting to dishonesty to crafty
it. The parents or guardians of every
boy detected or suspected of smoking
might be notified of the discovery or
suspicion by his teacher or superintend-
ent, and the parents should exert their
influence to check the habit.
Much more might be said on this sub
ject; but we think enough facts are
here given to call serious attention to
the matter Oracich Bulletin.