Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1886-09-30
The Use of Tobacco.


The use of tobacco is not such horri-
BILE thing if it be kept within bounds. 1t
might almost be said to be beneficial.
| There is no good reason why its use
| should uot be moderate.
Let US see what the medical books say
about the effects of tobacco: The first
thing that strikes one is that tobacco has
| little or no effect upon the brain. Smok-
ers generally suppose that it soothes the
brain, and fanatics say it stupeties. How
ever, it does neither. On the nervous
| system its action is upon the part which
is under the control of the spinal cord.
| 1t is soothing and it it Supplying, but
not to the brain. Everything that in
moderation is soothing is Supplying in
| excess; it is only matter of quantity.
| The first effect of tobacco when smok-
| ed, is that it deprecates the hearts act
| ton, and this may produce an irritated
condition of this organ, known as ''tobac-
co heart" Another is that it retards de-
velopment, and should therefore never be
used by youths.
| Those who chew the weed get the worst
OF the bargain for this reason. There is
always going on in the body system of
waste and repair. The waste is carried
spiration. Those who chew stimulate the
salvary glands to such activity that some
of the work of the kidneys is actually
performed by these glands, thought
which to say the least, is not pleasant,
! On the other hand tobacco is an aid to
digestion. It causes the coats of the in
| testines to contract and improves their
| tone. Smokers daily experience this
when, after a meal, if they should feel
uncomfortable, a cigar soon brings about
a feeling of comfort and satisfaction
But here again comes in the matter of
excess. Nicotine is a nearly colorless
fluid, which is reduced to crystals with
difficulty. 1t has a strong'odor of tobacco,a
burning taste, and is extremely poison
Gus. A half ounce of tobacco is said to
contain enough nicotine to prove fatal.
| To be sure, smokers only get a small
portion of this into their systems, but it
| is this poison which affects those who
| smoke to excess or those who are grow
ing, are nervous or have tendency to
| heart disease. Such should never smoke
at all.
| There are so many instances of men
| and women who have been habltual to-
bacco users who have lived to unusual
| ages that the precise amount of dam
age done by the fragrant weed is diff
cult to determine.
AS a medicine tobacco was used in
former years to a considerable extent
but more recently it has fallen into dis
use because of the large number OF
deaths resulting from its internal ad
ministratian. It is a useful remedy fol
local application, as it relaxes spasm
and alleviates pain, but there are many
remedies which do better and are not sc
dangerous. 1t is sometimes used as a
remedy in poisoning by strychnine, and
it is also used IN lockjaw. For poison,
ing by tobacco alcohol is good remedy
which is the reason men can smoke sc
much while drinking alcoholic beverages
AS a poison nicotine is so virulent that
death ensues almost instantly. A case
is reported of man who committed sui
eide by taking an unknown amount. He
fell Immediately to the floor, sighed
deeply, and inside of three minutes was
| dead.