The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1888-11-02
EGYPTIAN CIGARETTES.
THE IRRESPONSIBLE LAY CRITIC
TURNED OVER BY AN EXPERT.
The Only Physical Trouble Caused by
Smoking Cigarettes Ia in the Throat,
and This Is Brought About Only by
Insane Excess.

The London LdncTS CAIRO coT'esPpiu-
ent SAYS The irresponsible writer VINO
succeeded in starting correspondence on
this subject in the leading lay journal,
before he was promptly disowned by Mid
alesex hospital. informed the public that
this form OF smoking was productive, IN
his opinion, OF malignant throat disease
His experience is not borne out by hu-
ropoan doctors here, who see men smok-
ing every day their forty or fifty cigarettes
without harm, and without single re-
corded case OF cancer occurring |
IN tbe throat. Most Of the |
succeedng letters Of this correspond
enco call for no remark until we
come 10 one signed by IN. d., contain
ine warning that thehegt from the burn
ING cigarette paper, or possibly the quality !
Of the paper used, may have influence in
keeping mp m irritable form OF chronic
bronchitis. Now, in this favored country
we are declared from seeing much bron-
chilis, but We 10 occasionally see cases OF
obstinate pharyngitis not yielding to drug
treatment. In some such eases ! have per
suaded Englshmen TO substitute cigars Tor
their thirty or more daily cigarettes. They
thus smoke greater AMI stronger supply
OF tobacco, hut they lose their pharynplls.
This looks as II paper, or possibly
the chlorine used in bleaching IT,
was the direct cause Of the chronic in
nammaion. The only other evil ! have
ever seen from cigarette smoking during
five years hospital and private practice IL
n mild dyspepsia, patients complaining OF
perpetual iurrcd tongue, taste in mouth,
etc These VIII generally be found To
smoke thirty or more cigarettes day and
their dyspepsia will vanish when they
rcsolutcly cut down their maximum to
ten. The more severe symptoms OF
tobacco poisoning 30 well known m Eng
land are not seen among ihuse devoted to
the mild Turkish tobacco. by such |
mean tobacco amblyopa, irregular heart
and pulse dilaiation Of pupil, nervousness,
insomnia, etc. The last letter OF the cor
rcgpondcncc which has reached ~ here IN
signed hy three initials, and gives the opin-
ion Of q medical officer who served dur
ing the luN Egyptian camuaign. lie
states that il Is undoubtedly the case
that opium il largely introduced Ia their
NATIVE cigurpttcsl Manufacture. lie
bases his belief upon the fact that lac used
10 Dc asked nj shops whether he wished
his cigarettes a. be- "highy or moderately
favored" The explanation II the flavor
ing is very simple. smyrna tobacco,
which constitutes about 20 per cent. OF u
sccunl.cass cigarette, Is recognized 10y tine
trade ns being inferior 10 NoniijC tobacco,
and is called IN Egypt pcHumcd or ilavord
tobacco. while Icnidjc is called natural
tobacco. The question, therefore, II u
harmless one. meaning, DO YOU want
much OF little OF the smyrna leaf IN your
cigupt,ps9' The question Of ndulicr-
ton with opium Is worth q reply.
Obviously. u the tobacco II mixed
with opium, Il must either be done in
Turkey, where the plant Is grown, ~ In
fgypt, where hc lcm rs mNdc into cigar
cities. Now. NJ Smyrna, where opium
could easily be- bought, ils wholesale price
varies from c. Ia c. per pound and ms
the best tobacco only Gusts thcrr ~ per
round Il II not likely that either cultiya
tor ~ buyer will go ont II the way to doe.
tor he leaves. AZ Npnidjr aud Cayalln
opium II not grown, aud must, Therefore,
be- drnrcJ than ut Smyrna. In Egypt
opium h practically not grown nov, and
tie quantity imported NJ shown 10y the
customs reports, h only sufficient iur dis
pensiug chemists moreover, its price
" again ptohibitoy, the cheapest
opium fetching nearly three times
the price Of the most expensive
tobacco. Al the sellers here Indignantly
deny that their cigarettes ATE doctorcl
with opium OF any other drug. and unani
mously Affirm that good Turkish tobacco
II ~ delicate that Il will not admit oi III,
least perfume or flavor Of u foreign naiur
without becoming ai once so changed rs {,
bc unsmoknblc. Yesterday | visited a.,
4. tttfIt..uT a.
WIS shown every stage II the process, and
satisfied myself that there IL certainly n,
doctoring oi the tobacco nj any Of the foul
establishments.
No hnl-clnss tobacco Is grown In Egypt
and the Egyptian cigarettes now smoke,
all over the world arr made from Nicolian,
inbacum, var. inacrophylla (puvnl, nm,
Nicoiiana ruslica ll.inn.l, Of which thu
finest plants arr grown nj lcnidjc nm,
Cayalla The Egyptian merchants, VIII,
are all Greeks. maintain that they buy ih
bcs, Of crops, aud ship the produce of (,
Cairo 20 avoid the monopoly Ut tile Tobacco
Reggie. the remainder being sold boy III
Reggie. The proper time ior sowing 4
Turkey Is IN December goats manure nj
the land gives the best perfume uliimalcl,
hndthC delicate plants must BE- prutcctc'lh
mating from cold aud snow. In Apr
INV bfNNWfH WV ifhuhVlNuirt. AMI q
August the leaves nW ready to l,c gath
cred. Tie quality yuucs according to IA
part Of thr plant from which leaves hn,
been taken. the lowest are mnk AMI yrt
inferior the small uppcr leaves iumia
tobacco of the hyzt quality, aud the midd
leaves, mixed With q perrrntagr of n
smallest, constitute HitrfWarl tile chcn
ct varieties Of cigarettes. The pathrr
leaves ar Therefore Kept in thpc lot
and when they havr bccn well dried
the sun they aw pressed and ma
NJ into bale. oi not less than 100 pound
Before pressing the leaves they muslll
slightly dhmpcd hy water In smyrna, hi
this is mo- necessary In Ncnidir an1 e
valla. THE two gpai points to strive I
are color and scent. aud these are dpprn
eni ON careful picking, seed aud climat
The seed ought a. be- renewed every o.
ond year. The Cairo merchants buy II
bales ON the spot about March or Apr
carefully sort the leaves again. and th
ship them 20 Alexandra after thcy d
once more dried, 10 that they may
ready for use Ia Cairo tie follow
October.
The bales are opened ~ required, o.
the various leaves mixed ~ that four d
icreni.priccd qualities result, the b
Kind being that In which thcp h
least smyrna tobacco and the least y
ccntagc of large leaves. II cigarettes
made exclusively Ut the best leaves viii
arr light ycll0w-brown In color, and me
urc only 4x2 inches, the aroma IN y,
A - -. -.