River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1888-11-08
a SUICIDAL HABIT.
Prof DudIey's Experiments with tho
smoka of an Ordinary Cigarette.

Prof. DudIey's Experiments with tho
smoka of an Ordinary Cigarette.
In many respects, as regards disease
and the causes and remedies thereof.
doctors disagree" but there is ono
subject upon which all physicians arc
in accord, namely, the deieterious ef-
fects OF the habitual use of tobacco
upon the human body and mind. And
we have yet TO find a solitary instance
where a medical expert Goes not con-
denim cigarette-smoking as especially
injurious. The Medical NeUS, of re-
cent date, published a paper by DIR.
VIM. l.. Dudley, Professor OF CSlemis-
try in the Vanderbilt University. CIV
ing the results of recent careful an
alytical experiments made by him in
his laboratory with the smoke of an
ordinary cigarette. Mice We're used
upon which to employ his tests. 1t is
not needful that we should give the pro-
fessor's description of his modus Oper-
andi by means of air tubes, an aspira-
tor, glass-jar, etc, the results OF his
experimentation being the chief OBJ
ject OF interest in which the reader is
concerned.
Suffice it to say, then, that in each of
his several chemical tests by the grad
ual combustion of single cigarette,
the mouse that was the recipient of the
resultant smoke died in the course of
the operation, being literally poisoned
to death by inhaling the carbonic
oxide evolved from the ''noxiOus
weed The blood of the dead Great
ure being subjected to spectroscopic
examination. It was found that the
veinous fluid had been so completely
altered and Initiated that death was tho
inevitable effect. The tests were thor
oughly scientific and conclusive. The
fact was demonstrated, beyond
the chance OF doubt or ques-
ton, that carbonic oxide is tho
chief constituent of cigarette smoke,
if not of all tobacco smoke, and that
its inhalation into the air passages and
lungs must of necessity be exceeding
Nv deleterious, as much so to men and
boys as to mice.
Prof Dudley refers to published as
sertions that the adulteratiOr vi to-
bacco with opium and flavoring drugs
and the alleged presence of arsenic in
the paper used for wrappers are the
chief causes of the evil effects of
cigarette but pronounces
them unsatisfactory and insufficient"
as explanations. His chemical tests,
he insists, have demons, rated posi-
lively the actual cause of the mischief,
namely. the cigarette-smoker's absorb
ton of the carbonic oxide and other
gases, causing deoxidation of the
blood. and thereby impairing its power
to build up the wasting tissues of the
body"
The cigarette habit has of late years
become very common in this country.
Ii is one of those many European inn
portations which do our people more
harm than good Many of our young
men, and some who are neither young
nor inexperienced. are literally burn
ing out of themselves the best elements
of their manhood. by sucking into
their systems the poison Of physical
and mental degeneracy through the
filthy cigarette. Cigar-smcking and
pipe-smoking are bad enough and
pernicious enough in all conscience.
but cigarette-smoking is absolutely
suicidal. If the learned scientific
professor of Vanderbilt University
shall. by his exposure of the evils OF
this habit. suppress IT among the youth
of America, he will have conferred a
National blessing. Caicdg0 Journal