The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1889-08-04
DOCTORS TALK ON TOBACCO
They Think Its Use Could Be Discon-
tinued with Good Effects as to Health.
Some Medical Men. Though, Regard Moderate
Smoking as a Sedative-Chewing Has
One Virtue to Recommend 1t.


pits as moral question. while in its phys
zeal phases the harmfulness or harmlessness
of the weed is discussed by smokers and
chewers with almost every purchase they
make of the article. The cigar is certainly
the most seductive form of the weed. Byron
sings:
Divine in hookas, glorious in pipe,
When tipped with amber, mellow, rich ana ripe;
Like other charmers. wooing the caress
More dazzlingly when daring in full dress;
Yet thy true lovers more admire by f:r
Thy naked beautes-Give me cigar
1t is upon tobacco that doctors disa-
gree. Many of those who are
most positive as to its injurious
effects are themselves most persistent
in its use. Few give it their unqualified
approval. while many condemn it. Those of
moderate views hold that tobacco is heart
sedatiye in Its temperate use. allaying
nervous excitement. especially muscular
tremor in those accustomed to its use;
while to those not SO accustomed it pro
duces GOODNESS. nausea, vomiting, and re-
duces the hearts action to the minimum.
This is the experience that comes to every
one with his first cigar. 1t is held that the
best time to smokeis after meals. as the cigar
or pipe produces a calmer condition and
more even digestion OF food. The cigar
smoker gets. OF course, tobacco III Its most
concentrated form. Compared with the
pipe, one cigar is equivalent to three or
ing pipe smokes slowly, and in prolong-
ing the operation gets the soothing effects.
Tobacco never has the effect of either
alcohol or opium" said DR.. w. Is. Fletcher
III answer to the reporters inquiry, I'm eX-
citing ii man to commit wrong. Nobody
ever commits murder OF theft through the
use of tObaccO; never abuses his family;
never kicks the dog OF scOlds the cook. On
the contrary, if he has these feelings from
any cause, tobacco is apt to subdue them
and make him kindly disposed to everyone.
A man is more soothed by the use of to-
bacco In q cigar or pipe, In the daytime
than at night. He can see the smoky in
curling to the sky Which greatly sm
is apparently worse than cigars or pipes,
for the reason that it is dors chiefly
by young persons on the suppose
ton that it 80, is an innocent cen use Sse
left upon the breath and in q room from
cigarette is far more intoleIa Die to the av-
erage olfactory sense than that OF either
pipe or cigar"
rs smoking; from medical standpoint,
I'm certain asthmatic diseases and in
functional arrangements of the heart it
seems to counterfeit the influence of dis
case. Of course. an excessive use of to-
bacco will produce functional derange-
ments of the heart"
Does the smoking of tobacco ever pro-
duce insanityW
Il never heard of any one becoming in
sane from its inOrdinate use. though
have treated three or four young men who,
it was said by their physicians, had become
insane through cigarette smoking But
i think the excess In the use of cigaret ties
was caused by. their insanity. rather than
that the insanity was caused by the excess
in smoking"
"TObaccow exclaimed DR.. T. b. Harvey.
lis emphatically most perniciOus weed"-
hesltatlng moment as he cut Oft chew
from a fresh plug-"with possibly some re-
deeming qualities in exceptional cases. AS
a rule. it is poison, acting upon the nerv-
GUS system. particularly on the nerves con-
trolling the action of the heart stomach
and lungs There is condition of the
heart called tobacco heart often existing
before the patient knows at all that he has
1T. He finds out that he has this serious
trouble when he is examined for life lnsur-
surance or military service. 1t doesn't kill
him: but he becomes seriously annoyed"
You chew, yourself"
81 am sorry to say do. quit smoking
yesterday. There are persons who appear
to be educated to the stimulant SO that
they cannot be without it. L once had
as patient gentleman seventy-six years
old. He had quit chewing on account of
moral and religious objections. He had be-
come dropsical. and no remedies did him
any good until, under my advice. he re-
surned his tobacco. and the dropsy almost
disappeared. Perhaps he had created a
necessity tor it. and his system could not
do without it.. AS to the tilthiness of the
chewing habit, a man who chews, if he
uses ordinary cleanliness, has less often
sive breath than man who does not, pro-
vided the latter pays little attention to the
toothbrush. Food upon the teeth produces
fermentation, so that many who pride
themselves on their niceness through not
chewing tobacco have terribly bad breaths
Smoking of some kinds of cigars gives a
villainons breath. but the chewer has fire.
qucntly been maligned on that scOre.'
DR.. i. &. Walker was just lighting cigar
after luncheon. Handing one to the re-
porter. he said: There are persons who do
not seem to be injured from moderate use
of tobacco, but that is the best / can say
for the smoking habit. | have had cases
where / was absolutely certain that mater
Ial injury was done by tobacco; these
things depend upon the aye of persons and
their idiOsyncracies."
Never used tobacco but once" said DR..
=. III. Jameson, land that Will do mes-
here the Doctor made n long and thought
full pause. The smoking of tobacco is in
nostrils. the throat and bronchial tubes are
frequently seriously disturbed by it. 1t is
especially injurious to the heart. Almost
every smoker is more or less subject to pal
pitatlOn, 10 u nervous OF irregular action
of the heart"
Il know ought not to SMOKE" said Dr.
A. w. Brayton. Every few who contract
the habit, even among physicians, break
Oft until 1T has done irreparable damage"
Il smoked my last cigar" said DR.. W. N.
Wishard. ION Jan. /, 1889. with DR.. Frank
BOhn. of the City Dispensary. / am now n
dry smoker Smoking makes me nervous
increases q catarrhal affection and dis
turbs the hearts action
IF you must smoke" DR.. j. A. Compton
replied to the reporters inquiries. "the
best time to do so is after meals. But, on
reflection, don't believe any time is the
best time-unless. perhaps, man is fat
A lean man like myself should never smoke
there the Doctor threw out a cigar stump)
i have almost quit it myself. No man can
smoke with impunity."
Smoking" said Dr. j. T.. Boyd. sis de-
cidedly .injurious. The French Military
Academy recently made test. d. iding o
use tobacco and the other prohibited. 1t
was found that those who did not use il
made greater progress in their studies than
those who did. 1t is q nerve and heart
sedative. and while system may be so that
it will tolerate it and not produce any inn
mediate effect. long continued use pre-
cipitates heart disease and brain trouble
Pm sixty-six years old and have never
used tobacco in any f0rm.D
Displacing the Steel Engraving.