The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1896-02-21
DOCTOR, CAN | SMOKER"
How One Physician Answers the Cues
ton.
medical Record. J

\MeulChl RECORD.
Under the title Of "The Indications
and CONGRATULATIONS for the Use of
Tobacco by the Sick and Convalesoent,"
DIR. L. Jankau has published an article
in which he tries to answer the question
SO often asked by patients and GONZALES
cents" Doctor, can smoker" DIR. JAN
kau does not attempt to discuss the prob
lem whether healthy people can smoke,
but confines himself to the relations Of
tobacco to the invalid
The employment of tobacco, he says, is
to be forbidden in all surgical operations
and long convalescenoe after operations,
except those practised upon the eyes, the
abdomen ana the bladder He would
prescribe tobacco also in affections of the
throat and pharynx. and, with certain
restrictions, in nasopharyngeal catarrh.
AS regards internal maladies. he says one
should never forget the toxic action of
tobacco, so that in acute and serious dis
eases it should never be allowed-a pre-
caution which is hardly needed, since in
most cases where patients are very ill,
they quickly lose their taste for tobacco.
To particularize the Indications and con-
traindications, DR.. Jankau says, first,
that tobacco should be absolutely forbid
den in peritonitis, typhliuis and perity-
phlitis. Affections of the stomach do not
form an absolute standardization. TIL is
opinion, as a critic in the "Bulle tt n
Generate de Therapeutique'' truly says,
is quite open to dispute. 1t is certain
that tobacco smoking in excess will pro-
duce heartburn" and various forms of
dyspepsia; indeed, DR. Jankau himself
| later states shat he does not believe in
the beneficent action of cigars after a
meal. Subjects affected with organic dis
ease of the heart do not ordinarily sup
port tobacco well; at the same time,
| habitual smokers can use two or three
| light cigars a day. AS to pulmonary
affections, the .author allows his anti
septic views to have good deal of
weight in guiding his Judgment. On
the score OF the proven fact that tobacco
smoke has an undoubted influence in
supressing the developments of baoilli,
| he rather advises smoking for those per-
sons who are in the initial stage of tuber-
| culosis. His reasons are: the disinfect-
| ing action OF tobacco upon the mouth,
| the depression exerted by tobacco upon
| the genital functions; furthermore. the
| favorable sedative influence OF this drug
upon the central nervous system. Besides
that, he thinks that it tends to take away
the attention of patients from themselves
and make life seem more agreeable to
them. Even slight haemoptyses are not
| absolute CONGRATULATIONS for the use of
tobacco. While on this subject, the au.
thor fails to note the pretty we'll tested
fact. that smoking sometimes keeps down
the seizures of nervous asthma. In
syphilitics, he thinks that one should try
to avoid only the abuse of tobacco, both
as to quantity and quality In nervous
affections, the author again would simply
recommend that the amount of smoking
be very carefully controlled, the numb bel
of cigars and their strength being rigor.
ously prescribed. In cardiac neuroses,
particularly, the greatest circumspection
tobacco should be cut off entirely Per-
sons who are subject to organic affections
or the nervous system can smoke with
caution. AS for smoking during the con
valescenoe, no set of rules are or can be
laid down. The author does not take
into account, we think, sufficiently the
question OF age in the matter Of smoking
1t seems to be pretty we'll agreed thai
II person has reached a fairly good OLD
age as a smoker, he can continue the
habit without much injury, even though
he be crippled with various chronic dis
orders, or even if he have stroke Of
apoplexy and make from it reasonably
good recovery. On the other hand, per
missive advice as to smoking during the
first twenty five years of life is to be
given with great caution. DR.. Jankar
is rather lenient sanitarian, and VIZ
fancy he is something of q smoker him
self.