Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1891-04-30
TOBACCO POISON.
Frogs sacrificed in the Interests Of Medi-
cal science.

Frogs NacrItCfu IN tue fHtffcs'7 " "ANN
cal Science.
While lecturing in the Battle Creek
Mich sanitarium recently, DR.. J. IL.
Kellogg experimented upon some frogs
TO illustrate the poisonous physical
effects of tobacco A lively, wriggling
frog. which evidently had no taste for
tobacco. was forced to take one-tenth
Of a minim-that is one-tenth Of drop
of the nicotine distilled from cigar.
The poor creature died quicker than i
il haa had its head cut off. The same
qua Ii was injected under the skin of
anotner and II instantly produced
great tremor, owing to the paralyzing
effect Of the nicotine. 1t also died in a
few seconds Double this quantity
was given to a third frog and its heart
ceased to beat almost instantly. A
little phial was shown which contained
two and three-tenths minims Of nico-
tine, which amount was distilled from
a single ordinary cigar-enough 70 kill
twenty-three frogs in the dose given.
one-half this quantity would be a fatal
dose for man if administered so that
its full effects would be felt.
DIR. Kellogg continued why, then,
do not cigars prove more fatal? I'm
doubtedly thousands of persons are
killed every year from the use of tor
bacco and the reason more immediate
effects are not seen is that probably
half the nicotine contained in each cigar
passes off from the end that is on fire
Another reason is that the smoker be-
comes accustomed TO it by degrees just
as the opium eater gets so that he can
take habtnally what would prove
fatal dose at the outset. Notice the
effect upon a young smoker. He Is
pale. with a feeble, tagging pulse.
Nicotine has partially paralyzed the ac-
ton of his heart. He nearly always
vomits The tracings Of the pulse of
young smoker by means of sphygmo-
graph shows merely a faint, irregular
line. In an old smoker the line is still
irregular and ragged, but the heart
having become accustomed TO the poison
is able to make some strong upward
strokes The tracing made by person
in health shows regular, well defined
curves.
Tobacco taken into the system par
tally paralyzes all the vital functions
and lessons nervous sensibility and
heart action. 1t overworlSs all the
eliminative organs That is why the
skin OF an old smoker always has such
a bad smell After awhile he. finds
that tobacco hangs on his BREATH
which means that his system has be-
come so completely saturated that the
skin and kidneys have lost their ability
TO eliminate the poison as fast as it IS
taken in. This is always condition OF
danger He is threatened with some
grave disease. usually of the kidneys
for those organs suffer most from the
tobacco habit. A Scotch phvsologist has
been making some investigations and
he finds that all old smokers have some
trace of diseased kidneys, Albumen is
Away present in small quantities and
also sugar
Chewing has the same effect only in
less degree. The area Of the alimentary
canal through which the poison enters
the system Of the person who chews to
bacco is SO muAl less than the area of the
lungs with their two thousand square
feet Of surface. that the effects of smoh
ing are much more manifest. Report
ed by Helen =. Manning.