Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1898-01-21
TOBACCO PIPES DIAGNOSED.
Medical Preference for Clay Over
Wood-ImitatiOn MOuthpfeces.

From the Lancet.
If tobacco smoking is justifiabie at all on
hygienic grounds, it is generally conceded
that the pipe is the least injurious means.
But tobacco pipes differ considerably In ma
terial and shapes, both of which must be
important factors in determining the char
acter of the smoke. Thus there is the clay
the neerschaum and the various wooden
pipes, the briar, cherry or myall. Next to
the tobacco, therefore. which should al
ways be pure and free from added flavor
ing, an expedient which is resorted to far
TOO commonly nowadays, probably in many
instances TO cover an inferior quality of
tobacco, the best kind of pipe is a point to
be considered. Even assuming that he Is
smoking good tobacco, the smoker knows
now different in character the smoke is
when drawn from q clay or a wooden howl
There 5 probably scientific explanation
OF this fact which must have some bearing
on the noxious or innocuous character of
me smoke associated with other products
OF combustion. A soft clay Is invariably
cool smoking, because the acrid oils obtain
ed Oh the destructive dstillation of the to-
bacco are absorbed instead of collecting in
a httle pool. which must eventually either
Dy the VolatlizatIon or by mechanical con-
Seyance reach the mouth. A particular
pipe smokes hot not necessarily because
the temperature of the smoke is high, but
because 1t favors the passage by one of
these means of the oils into the mouth
Meerschaum is another porous material
Again. an old wooden pipe or briar. so dear
TO inveterate smokers, becomes smooth
smoking because the pores of the wood
widen and SO absorb. as is the case with
clay and meerschaum, large proportion
OF the tobacco oils. Thus an old pipe
sweats." as 1t is termed-that Is. the Oil
tntrudes into the expanded pores of the
wooden bowl and at length exudes SINH
larly, hook-shaped pipe must be better
than a pipe the bowl Of which is on the
same level as the mouth, for the simple
reason that in the former considerable
quantity of the oil Is kept back in the u
shaped part of the pipe. while IN the latter
the oil travels easily down the stem. Ebon-
lite stems are in general. Objectionable be-
cause they commonly sroil the true flavor
OF tobacco smoke This is most probably
due TO the sulphur of the ebonite combinirg
with the volatile oils in the smoke We
know instances where ebonite stems have
produced distinctly objectionable symp-
reason just given. Bone or real amber
makes much more satisfactory stem, or
the pipes should be of wood throughout
Amber substitutes, and especially celIuioid
should be discarded entirely as dangerous
while the flavor of camphor which these
invariably communicate to the smoke forms
a very unpleasant combination. Pipes of
special construction cannot be regarded
with much favor, such as those which are
said to be hygienic and usually contain
eo-called nicotine abSorber. Those smokers
had better not smoke at all. As a matter
of fact tobacco yields little nicotine In the
smoke produced on its partial combustion
1t IS mainly to oils of a tarry and acrid
character that the toxic symptoms of to-
bacco smoking are due.