The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1888-12-05
The Use of Tobacco.

Tobacco contains an acrid, dark
brown oil, an alkaloid, nicotine, and
another substance called nicotianine, in
which exist its odorous and volatile prin-
ciples. When tobacco is burned, new
set of substances is produced, some of
which are less harmful than the nico-
tine, and are more agreeable in effect,
and much of the acrid ola substance
quite as irritating and poisonous as
nicotine-is carried off. These fire.
produced substances are called, from
their origin, the "pyridine SERIES" BY
great heat the more aromatic and less
harmful members of the series are pro-
duced, but the more poisonous COM
pounds are generated by the slow COM
bustion of damp tobacco. This oil,
which is liberated by combustion, is
bad both in flavor and in effect, and it
is better, even for the immediate pleas
urc of the smoker, that it should be ex-
cluded altogether from his mouth and
air passages. Smoking in a stub of a
pipe is particularly injurious for the
reason that in it the oil is stored in
condensed form, and the smoke is there
fore highly charged with the oil. Suck
ing or chewing the stub of cigar that
one is smoking is a serious mistake, be-
cause the nicotine in the unburned to-
bacco dissolves freely in the saliva, and
is absorbed. "Chewing' is, on this
account, the most injurious form of the
tobacco habit, and the use of cigar
holder is an improvement on the Gus
tom of holding the cigar between the
teeth. Cigarettes are responsible for
of Is l.
the smoke from the paper has any par
ticularly evil effect, but because smok-
ers-and they are often boys or very
young men-are apt to use them con-
tinuously or at frequent intervals, be-
lieving that their power for evil is in
significant. Thus the nerves are under
the constant influence of the drug, and
much injury to the system results.
Moreover, the cigarette smoker uses a
very considerable amount of tobacco
during the course of day. dipping"
and shutting" are emi-barbarities
which need not be discussed. Not
much effect is obtained from the use of
the drug in these varieties of the habit
Nicotine is one of the most powerful of
the "nerve poisons" known. Its viru-
lence is compared to that of prussic
acid. If birds be made to inhale its
vapor in amounts too small to be meas
ured they are almost instantly killed.
1t seems to destroy life, not by attack
ING a few, but all of the functions es-
sential to it, beginnin at the center,
the heart. A significant indication of
this is that there is no substance known
which can counterfeit its effects; the
system either succumbs or survives.
Its depressing action on the heart is by
far the most noticeable and noteworthy
symptom of nicotine poisoning. The
frequent existence of what is known as
:" smokers heart" in men whose health
is in no other respect disturbed is due
to this fact. Those who can use tobacco
without immediate injury will have all
| the pleasant effects reversed, and will
suffer from the symptoms of poisoning
! if they exceed the limits of tolerance
These symptoms are: |. The hearts
action becomes more rapid when to-
bacco is used; 2. Palpitation, pain, OIL
ususual sensations in the heart; B.
There is no appetite in the morning,
the tongue is coated, delicate tlavors
are not appreciated, and acid dyspepsia
occurs after eating; 4. Soreness of the
mouth and thr )at, or nasal catarrh, APP
pears, and becomes very troublesome
3. The eyesight becomes poor, but i'm.
proves when the habit is abandoned
6. A desire, often craving, for liquor
or some other stimulant is experienced
In an experimental observation of
thirty-eight boys of all classes of soci
ETY.. and of average health, who hat
been using tobacco for periods ranging
from two months to two years, twenty
seven showed severe injury to the con
stitution and insufficient growth; thirty
two showed the existence of irregular
ity of the hearts action, disordereC
stomachs, coughs, and craving fol-
alcohol; thirteen had intermittency o
the pulse, and one had consumption
After they had abandoned the use o
tobacco, within six months one-hal
were free from all their former symp
toms, and the remainder had recovered