Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-03-23

muscular system that before the days ot
chioroiorm it was employed in surgical
operations in which it was necessary that the
muscles should be perfectly limp. 1t will be
readily understood that under the influence
OF drug possessing these properties the e1-
qulsltely delicate adjustment OF the
various parts of the complicated vocal
machinery are to some extent dIsordered,
and the voice, If not quite "like sweet bells
tangled out of tune and harsh," loses some
thing OF Its richness and brilliancy. Some
thing analogous to what takes place In the
eye as result OF the abuse of tobacco oc-
ours In the larynx, or rather in the part OF the
Drain which govern the movements OF that
organ. Oculists are familiar with tobacco
amblyopia," that is, dimness OF sight,
due to what may be called, hguratirely,
blurring of the retina bv tobacco smoke.
Tobacco amblyphonia" would be an equal
ly appropriate name for the corresponding
dullness of voice caused by excessive smok-
ing. 1t must he understood that l speak
here solely of singers; the effects which have
been mentioned would be scarcely, if at all,
noticeable in the speaking voice.
IRRIIATEs THE MEMBRANES.
When the nicotine does not injure the
nervous system the smoke may still irrltate
the lining membrane of the throat and wind
pipe. Anyone who has been in a Highland
cottage must be painfully familiar with the
effect of the ''peat reek" on the eyes. As
the mucous membrane lining the larynx is
even more sensitive than that covering the
organ of vision, the effect of blasts of not
smoke passing over it may be imagined.
Unfortunately, it is possible to harden the
delicate membrane to these rough expert
ences, but in losingits sensitiveness it also
loses good deal of its smoothness and
elasticity. The evil effects wrought by
tobacco on the iaryn1 consist generally in
patches of congestion affecting the upper
part of the organ aud occasionally the vocal
cords themselves. In addition to this in
severe cases the cords show a certain
sluggishness of movement, which of course
makes the tone dull, harsh and uncertain.
A marked feature in these cases is dryness
of the mucous membrane, a physical con-
dition which deprives the voice of all
brilllancy. In given case it would be I'M
possible by mere ocular inspection to feel
certain that these signs of disease arose from
smoking, but in the case of young men not
thoroughly habituated, 1 have repeatedly
seen conditions brought on by few days
smoking which have disappeared altogether
when the patient has abstained.
In the upper portion of the throat the
parts most exposed to the action of hot
smoke are the uvula and the soft palate or
little curtain which screens off the mouth
from the back of the throat and it is there
accordingly that the effects are most marked.
Patches of redness, enlargement of the tiny
blood vessels, swelling of the uvula, crops
OF little blisters, which break and give rise
to small but painful ulcers, and finally
rough, gritty, almost warty and discolored
condition of what was once beautiful,
smooth, pink surface-these are the chief
features OF the picture too often presented by
the smokers palate. Dryress is here also
a very characteristic feature of chronic nico-
tism. Everywhere In the throat the natur-
al secretion which should lubricate the parts
is dried up or thickened to glutinous ma
terial, which clogs instead of oiling the
wheels of the vocal machine.
EFFECT ON THE TONGUE.
The tongue often suffers severely from the
effects of tobacco. Small excavations, blis-
ters, chronic superficial Inflammation, and
white patches, sometimes of almost horny
consistence, are formed on the surface of the
organ, and permanently unhealthy condi-
ton is induced, which in those predisposed
TO cancer is apt. under the influence of ad-
vancing age or as the result OF the prolonged
local irritation, to lead 10 the development
of that disease. The same observation ap-
plies to the superficial liberation which
affects the sides OF the root ofthe tongue. In
this situation there are number of delicate
projections or so-called papill@, the ex3ui-
sitely find points OF which readily become
inf1amed when exposed to irritation. 1t is
in this situation that cancer of the tongue is
exceedingly apt to commence, but whether
this terrible disease actually originates from
merely irritation or whether it must first be
in the system and is only brought to a focus,
SO to speak, by local irritation, has not vet
been determined. Even ii the latter hy-
pothesis be correct, the disease must often be
brought on by smoking years before 1t would
otherwise develop, and it occurs in a situa.
tion where its symptoms are peculiarly dis
tressing.
More rarely smoking causes chronic in
fammaIion of the lips, which sometimes
gives rise to cracks which are always very
troublesome and not infrequently end in
deadly disease. In several OF the morbid
conditions which 1 have described it is
obvious that the changes of structure are
more important than the loss of vocal
and indeed in manv cases serious
disease may be present while the voice is but
little affected.
1t need hardly be said that the conditions
of the throat and other parts of the vocal in
strument which l have here sketched are
not the work of few months or of moderate
smoking; they are the result of years OF ex-
cessive indulgence. There is, of course,
every shade of degree in the susceptibility
of different individuals, and much also de-
pends on the kind of tobacco used and on
the manner of smoking. Persons whose
skin and mucous membranes are naturally
irritable are more easily affected than others,
and those OF strongly marked rheumatic or
gouty tendencies are especially likely to
suffer.
ACTORS ARE AFFECTED.
The speaking voice does not generally be-
come seriously affected as the result of
except in the case of those who
have to make professional use Of the voice.
1 have noticed such effects occasionally in
the case of military men and more rarely
among the clergy. who have generally the
good sense to give up the habit of smoking
when they find it I'M urious. They are Ger
tainly, however, most common among actors.
In members of the dramatic pro essiou there
is often great strain on both the throat and
the nervous system, especially in learning
and rehearsing new parts, and it is at such
times that actors often exceed the bounds of
moderation in smoking, to which recourse is
had as a seS6tive to their overtaxed cerebral
and nervous energies. 1t is easy to driit into
excess under such circumstances, all the
more that the throat is then in what may be
called "a condition of least resistance"
The result is that most of the leading
actors in London suffer from a relaxed con-
dition of the upper part of the throat,
brought on entirely, believe, by smoking.
As high standard of excellence can only
be maintained in the dramatic profession
under a sparing use of alcohol, tobacco
must be looked upon as the sole cause of
The evil. may add, moreover, that while
actors suffer very much from congestion