Idaho semi-weekly world. [volume] (Idaho City, Idaho Territory) 1875-1908, 1891-07-10
FRENCH AUTHORS ON SMOKING.


The secretary of the French Anti-To-
bacoo league, which is trying very hard
just now TO induce the smokers of France
to cease smoking, recently asked the
most famous French authors to send
him by letter their opinions concerning
the effects of smoking upon the mind
and the body. Most of the replies to the
secretarys letters harmonized with the
views of the league. Emile lola. how
ever, wrote:
Ten years ago | gave up tobacco at
the instance of my doctor | do not be-
! lieve, however, that the intelligence and
! the creative strength of man are injured
by smoking Perfection is SO stupid
that am often sorry ceased smoking.
Francois Coppee replied;
you have the wrong man this time
| have been a heavy smoker since my
eighteenth year am now Al smoke
cigarettes all day, but throw each one
away after Il few puffs. Till proof to
the contrary is adduced, shall regard
tobacco as an incentive to working and
dreaming, which, for poet, are one and
the same thing"
Alexander Dumas, the younger, sent a
reply after the secretary's own heart
He said:
Tobacco. which gave up years ago
is next to alcohol. the most dangerous
enemy of intelligence. Nothing can
abolish its use, however, for the fools
are in the great majority, and they have
nothing to lose by using it. Since your
society is not after the fools, may it
strive to convert the wise"
II. Tame confesses thus:
The fact is, smoke cigarettes. 1t is
pastime in moments of thoughtlessness
and intellectul waiting Nevertheless
the habit is slavery and q danger as
many examples show. Since you know
all about the evils of smoking, you ought
to prepare valuable monograph on the
abuses of tobacco, especially if you can
collect data from Germany, America,
England, Austria and Holland, where
the people smoke much more than in
France"
Andre Theniret wrote:
81 was never member of the league
for the simple reason that | am passion
ately fond of smoking. Two years ago
your president asked me to write a story
about the acute sufferings of the young
smoker. did it. After publishing the
story received silver medal from your
league. That is all l ever had to do with
the enemies of tobacco"
Emile Angler replied curtly.
Il am no doctor. All | can say is, that
after smoking forty years | gave up the
soft opiate because it was hurrying me
to the brink of the grave before my
time"
Octave Feuillet indicates the general
drift of opinion among many other au-
thors, who answered the secretarys let.
ters, in these strong words, concerning
his own experience:
Il was once great smoker and cured
myself of the use of tobacco with diff
Guilty | was driven to the sacrifice, how
ever, by vertigo and dyspepsia, which
afflicted me as long as smoked. was
long unwilling to believe that nicotine
caused my illness, but | was compelled
finally to acknowledge it. According to
my experience, tobacco is very injurious
to nervous persons. 1t causes at first an
agreeable excitement, but eventually pro
duces general relaxation. 1t weakens
the capabilities of the mind. The effort
necessary to rally from it wearies and
consumes the will power. New York
Snn