St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1888-08-16
THE TOBACCO HABIT.
Effects Upon school Work.

Ft*&<l Oh Ten years. l. give Only OOSeTV0u
It's, and neither assume the condi-
shs nor jump at ordained con-
1sions.
|. Boys that begin the habit at an
arly age are stunted physically, and
yer arrive at normal bodily devel-
hnent.
q. Accompanied with the use of the
rcOtic were certain disordered phys
81 functions, such as indigestion, i'm
tired taste, defective eyesight, dull
Earring, nervous affections and disease
the heart. I have not found a single
be of early addiction to the habit of
bacco- using that did not suffer with
ae or more of these direful abnormal
editions.
B. Tobacco, used in any form, de-
dyed the ability to apply ones self
study, and prevented his compre-
hiding or remembering his lessons.
De mental faculties of a boy under
se influence of the narcotic seem to be
a stupor, and since depraved nerve
wer stultifies and weakens the will
aver, there is but little use for the
sAcher to seek to arouse the dormant,
ralyzed energies, or to interest and
ter the tagged desire. | have not
DC pupil that is addicted to the
bit who will go through a single
Hy's work and have good lessons. l
I've never had one whose scholarship
cord was good, and in almost every
sc the department was below the
verage standard. At the regular ex-
ninatiOns for promotion, nearly every
ne of the tobaccO-using pupils fail in
ing the most reasonable test work,
Zen if this is not the first time the
erk has been past over in class. l
We had numbers of cases in which
ley have remained in the same grade
81 four successive years, and then
10 the next higher class.
VI ACTUAL cases.-I. A hight school boy
no had always done excellent work,
As reported one term as not getting
|<is lessons. l had a talk with the boy
nd stated the facts, assuring him that
18th his past record his poor work was
nexplainable, as he insisted that he
evOted his time faithfully to his
indies. He denied using tobacco at
I'D. His work failed from month to
5onth, and before the year closed his
Earents withdrew him from school. His
hther deeply regretted the failure,
admitted that a change had come in
he boys conduct at home, but as he
lad heretofore been truthful and faith
Inl, he could not think that the pre-
supposed cause was the true one. In
few months the habit, thus far secret,
became more pronounced and more
bublic, and it was absolutely establish
Il by the boys own admissions, that it
as begun several months before the
rouble noticed at school, and that no
me knew it save the salesman that
furnished him the supply of the mar
tOtic.
2. Four years ago a boy entered one
"a my primary schools as a chart pu-
Iii. Before the boy was four years of
ge he had learned the habit of smOk-
ng cigarettes and stubs of cigars.
lis father taught him the use of mar
sDtics, and considered it sport to see
lis son exhibit the habits and tastes of
bis elders. During the four years he
lid not complete the twenty-fOur les
Dns on the chart, although he attended
Regularly, and applied himself as dill
GENTLY as the average pupil of that
trade. He seemed perfectly unable to
earn like other children, though he
Fas at the beginning a precOciOus,
promising child. His mental activity
Has SO dulled and paralyzed as to rem
zaer him but little better than au idiot
81 an imbecile. Experience has shown
hat the younger the habit is acquired,
be more disastrous the results to the
Mentality of the child.
Il 3. One boy was successful primary
"A Ia inf
Constantly praised by his teachers. On
his entering the last half of the third
trade, his work began to lag and his
Interest to decline. At the examina-
Lon for promotion his case was cOndi.
#tioned, andit was detected that he had
begun some months before to use to-
baccO. His parents were informed
and strenuous efforts were made by hii
zeacher to get the habit restrained and
seorrected. His reform was not secured
md though he remained five years ii
khe same grade, he was never able t.
z advance on merit, and several tria
promotions proved failures.
4. In a case where reform was Sc
cured and the habit overcome, the pu
\ pill again returned to normal progress
and had a successful career as a stu
dent.
Other observations.-So far as my
observations have extended, not /;
single boy has passed the examination
Required for admission to the higl
school after he had acquired the habit
and not one has graduated from tn,
+ high school who began the habit aftel
beginning his course in the high school
But the moral results are also as SO
rious. Pupils under the influence o
s the weed are constant subjects of dis
cipline, are not truthful, practice de
ception, and cannot be depended upon
"a change in character in a fOrmerl!
good boy is a very strong indication
that some habit is getting hold upOl
him whose tyranny must be broken be
fore he will again be clothed in III
right mind. The worst characteristic
of the habit is loss of personal self
respect, and of personal regard for tn
customs and wishes of ladies an
gentlemen, especially when anon
strangers.
If these observations mean anything
they declare that something ought t
be done to save child-life from the pit
falls that commercial interests are dig
ging, and that greed is encouraging
that more should be done than to in
struct by oral or text lessons in school
that teachers, parents and philanthro
pists are not yet sufficiently arouse
regarding the magnitude of the evil @
tObaceO-using by children that in tn
crusade against alcohol we should re
cOgnize that other evils, though NOR