The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1888-12-06
THE USE OF TOBACCO
THE QUESTION BRIEFLY DISCUSSED
BY A MEDICAL MAN.

A Matter of Importance to Smokers.
Habits to BE Avoided-T'he Cigarette
smoiser-Properties OF Nicotine-Expcri-
mental Observation--The N.aoris.
oil, an alkaloid, nicotine and another
substance called nicotianine, in which
exist it's OdorOus and volatile principles.
This description of the active principles
of tobacco is of Importance to smokers;
for, when tobacco is burned q new set
Of substances is produced, some Of which
are less harmful than the nicotine, and
are more agreeable il eject, and much
of the acrid ola substance quite as
irritating and poisonous as nicotine-is
carrid Of. These fire produced sub
stances are called, from their origin,
the ''pyridine series, BY great heat
tic more aromatic and less harmful
members Of the series are produced, but
the more poisonous compounds are gen
Grated by the slow combustion 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 i'm
mediate pleasure of the smoker, that it
should be excluded altogether from his
mouth and air passages.
Smoking in a stub OF a pipe is particl,-
iarly injurious, for the reason that in it
the Oil is stored in a condensed form,
and the smoke is therefore highly
charged with the OIL Sucking CT chew
ing the stub Of cigar that one is srnoh-
ing is a serious mistake, because the
nicotine in the unburned tobacco dis
solves freely in the saliva, and is alb
sorbed. "Chewing" is on this account
the most injurious form of the tobacco
habit, and the use of a cigar holder is an
improvement on the custom of holding
the cigar between the teeth.
MISCHIEF OF CIGARETTES.
Cigarettes are responsible for great
amount of mischief, not because the
smoke from the paper has any rarticu-
larly evil effect, but because smol,crs-
and they are often boys or very young
men-arc apt to use them continuously
or at frequent intervals, believing that
their power for evil is insignificant
Thus the nerves are under the constant
influence of the drug, and much injury
to the system results. Moreover. the
cigarette smoker uses very considerable
amount Of tobacco during the course Of
a day. dipping" and "s,lutfiiiiny" ere
sen2i-5arbalities which need not be dis
cIlssel. Not much effect is obtained
from the use Of the drug in these vari-
eties CT the habit.
Nicotine is one of the most powerful
Of the ''nerve poisons' known. Its v;ru-
lcnce is compared to that q ,,rlssic acid.
If birds be made to inhale its vapoi' in
amounts too small to be measured, they
gre almost instantly killed. It seems to
destroy life, not by attacking few, but
all Of the functions essential to it, begin
ming at the center, the heart. A signiG-
cant Indication CT this is that there is no
substance known which can ccunteract
Or survives. Its depressing action On
and noteworthy syn p;.1n q nicotine
r3isonin:g. Tic freqr:..:t cxi~tn'.ce Of
what is known rs ''s;s:!,.!,e':S heart" in
t.c1 v;i:;.2 I.caItI. j. il Il, ctt..4cs respect
dist ~T;3ol il ,;lc - t:ii3 feet.
-; IL. ILL, Il C:s,...3sv ATOM.
Ii al experimental observation Of
Shirt Il To- I, OF all ri.2Sa"3 Of society
md d avCl"Ge health, who had been
Hs.DG tn3acco for rei;o>;5 ranging
irnin two months to two years, twenty
seven showed severe injury to the con-
stitutiGl and Insufficient growth; thirty
two showed the existence q ir:o~uiarity
Of the hearts action, Gi:CTlicr2d st0n-
2clls, cough, and q craving for alcohol;
thirteen had intermittcncy OF the pulse,
ard one had consumption. After they
had abandoned the use OF tobacco, within
six months time one-half were free from
their former symptoms, and the remain
der had recovered by the end of the year.
A great majority Of men so FAR be-
vOnl what may be called the tonlDpr3ta
use Of tobacco, and evidences Of injury
are easily found. 1t is only necessary to
have some record Of what the general
health was previous to the taking up of
the !.al;it, and to have observation cover
. io,,g enough time. The history of to-
b2Cco II the Island Of New Zealand fur
i1i5hes e quito suggestive illustration for
or purpose, and one On a large scale.
When Europeans first visited New
Zealand they found in the native Macris
the most finely developed and powerful
lccn Of any Of the tribes inhabiting the
islands Of the Pacific. Since the intro
duct;ol e tobacco, for which the Maoris
Developed u passionate liking, they have
from tbs cause a4ona, it Is said, become
Gccinatcd il numbers, and at the same
time reduced in stature and in physical
well being SO c.3 TO be an altogether info
ri0r t,,nc Nf rlcn.-C. w. Lyman in New
York Medical Journal.