The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1886-09-10

Physicians Declare That It Causes geri-
Gus bronchial and Other Troubles
In the thousand and one shops
sprinkled through the narrow streets
OF this city. where youngsters buy
lollipops, where boys invest their saw
ings in base-balls and cigarettes at q
penny apiece. and where the young
ladies Of tenements purchase the latest
yellow-bound literature. there is Al
ways for sale substance known -
black chewing gum. Whether It Is
done up in spangled tinfoil, or re-
splendent in gaudy tissue paper, or
decorated with parti-colored ribbon, it
is still black chewing gum. 1t IL gen.
orally made out Of refuse gum arabic
stuff that can not be used in the
apothecary shops. and is favored
variously with the cheapest of cheap
extracts, licorice. wintergreen. pepper
mint, or, more usually, one Of those
poisonous flavors that are compounded
from acids. The manufacturers cut
huge slab Of the gum into quadrangle
lar pieces ABOUT the size of domino.
In cold weather the bits are friable and
break easily; when II Is warm. they
have the consistency Of piece Of India
rubber.
1t is surprising how much Of this
black chewing gum Is used. A little
girl gets hold Of penny somehow,
and she can not get to a shop quick
enough to buy some Of it. She chcws
and chews and chcws on il, her Jaws
working as regularly and vigorously as
those Of Fourth of July orator. II
she has bosom friend. she may bite
off bit Of gum and set the other girl
to chewing. If she wishes to show par
ticular favor to her five-year-old sweet
heart she gives him morsel. The
young ladies' who devour the yellow
bound novels devour gum, too. They
place fragment of it between the
hindermost Of their pearly teeth, aud
while their souls 60 out to Elvira in
her prison. or their hearts futter in
sympathy with Edgar de Montmorenci
in his attempt to carry of the heiress.
they don't forget to chew that gum.
Young bcaus. the leaders in tenement-
house society. chew it. too: for the
men who make it advertise that il per-
fumes the breath and lends the mouth
the odor Of A new-mown field, also that
| it aids digestion and clears the voice
4 and IS harmless and beautiful sub
stitute for tobacco; that it is. in fact
penny bit Of ambrosial for the gods
1t isn't. The physicians Of Amster-
dam, N. r.. have just declared in sol
emn conclave that the practice OF
chewing this black gum is most harm
full and pernicious; they have traced
directly to it innumerable cases Of sore
mouth and sore throat that they have
treated OF late. Their brethren Of the
medical profession in New York agree
with them. and not only condemn black
chewing gum. but all chewing gum Of
whatever color.
The physician who has charge of the
throat dispensary in one Of the largest
hospitals in New York. said yesterday:
''Day after day patients. nearly all
girls between eight and eighteen years
Of age. come in here and complain that
1t hurts them when they swallow. or
else that their mouths sting when they
drink any thing warm. On examining
their throats, find the delicate mu-
cous membrane marked here and there
with little inflamed patches In nine
cases out Of ten It Is caused BY chewing
gum"
why is the gum hurtful?"
THE favoring Is usually poisonous,
replied the doctor. land BY its con-
slant presence. in however small guam
tity, il sets up an Inflammation But
the habit Is otherwise pernicious; the
untiring motion Of gum-chcwcr's
jaws provokes a superfluous How Of
saliva-just as II there was always
pinch of salt on the tongue and
wears out the saliva glands. Gum
chewing retards digestion II WON
an fills her stomach with water or sa-
Iva she browns the gastric juices; also
the interminable attrition wears out the
teeth, and foreign flavor BY degrees
renders the breath more and more dis
agreeable; the practice is bad in every
way."-N y. Star.