The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1889-11-29
The Tobacco Habit, and Its Effect
Upon School Work.

dred boys, running through period Of
ten years, l give only observed facts,
and neither assume the conditions nor
jump at foreordaiued conclusions.
i. Boys that begin the habit at an
early age are stunted physically, and
rever arrive at normal bodily develop
ment.
2. Accompanied with the use Of the
narcotic were certaia disordered phys
ical functions, such as indigestion, in
paired taste, defective eye sight, dull
hearing, nervous affections, and diseases
Of the heart. l have not found single
case of early addictiug to the habit of
tobocco using that did not suffer with
one or more of these dire!ul abnormal
conditions.
8. Tobacco, used in any form, de-
stroyed the ability to apply ONES self
to study. and prevented his compre-
bending or remembering his lessons.
The mental faculties of boy under
the influence of the narcotic seem to be
in stupor; and since depraved nerve
power stultifies and weakens the will
power, there is but little use for the
teacher to seek to arouse the dorma nt,
paralyzed energies, or to interest and
foster the tagged desire. l have not
met pupil, that is addicted to the habit,
who will go through single days
work and have good lessons. l have
never had one whose scholarship record
was good. and in almost every case the
department was below the average
standard. At the regular examinations
for promotion, nearly every one Of the
tobacco using pupils fails in doing the
most reasonable test work. even if this
is not the first time the work has been
passed over 10 class. I have had Mum.
bers OF cases in which they have re-
manned in the same grade for four sue.
cessivc years, and then they were net
ready to be advaoced into tho next
higher class.
Actual Cdses-1. A high. school boy,
who had always done excellent work,
was reported one term as not getting
his lessons. | had talk with the boy,
and stated the facts, assuring him that
with his past record his poor work was
unexplainable, as he insisted that he
devoted his time faithfully to his stud
les. He denied using tobacco at all.
His work tailed from month to month;
and before the year closed, his parents
withdrew him from school. His father
deeply regretted the failure, admitted
that a change had come in the boys
conduct at home, but as he had hereto,
fore been truthful and faithful be could
not think that the pre-supposed cause
was the true one. In few months the
habit, thus far secret, became more pro.
nounced and more public. and it was
absolutely established by the boys own
admissions. that it was begun several
months before the trouble noticed at
school, and that no one knew it save the
salesman that furnished him the supply
of the narcotic.
2. -Four years ago boy entered one
of my primary schools as a chart pupil.
Before the boy was four years of age he
had learned the habit of smoking ciga-
retts and stubs of cigars. His father
taught him the use Of narcotics, and
considered it sport to see his son exhib.
il the habits and tastes of his elders
During the four years h, did not com.
plete the twenty.four lessons on the
chart, although he attended regularly,
and applied himself as diligently as the
average pupil Of that grade. He seem
ed perfectly unable to learn like other
children, though he was at the begin
ming precocious, promising child His
mental activity was so dullcd and par.
alyzed as to render him but little better
than an idiot or imbecile. Experience
has shown that the younger the habit,
is acquired, the more disastrous the
results to the mentality OF the child.
3. One boy was a successful primary
pupil. His work and his interest were
constantly praised by his teachers. On
his entering the last half of the third
grade, his work began to lag and his
interest to decline. At the examination
for promotion his case was conditioned,
and it was detected that he had begun
some months before to use tobacco. His
parents were informed, and strenuous
efforts were made By his teacher to get
the habit restrained aud corrected. His
reform was not secured; and, though he