The Black Hills union. [volume] (Rapid City, Pennington County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1889-1904, 1901-02-01
MANY ENGLISH WOMEN
CIGARET SMOKERS
Amazing Spread Of the Smoking
Habit in Great Britain jn
Recent Years.
PRESCRIBED BY THE PHYSICIANS
EnElish Doctors Find Tobacco Eficacio0s
In Certain Nervous Troubles-valae
Of Tobacco In War La Gencr-
ally Recognized.

|
ally Recognized.
London special: An interesting
change has taken place within few
years in the prevailing opinion among
English medical men with regard to
the use of tobacco. The theory that
moderate smoking is vice and al
ways deleterious long ago disappeared
from the medical profession in Eng
land There followed period when
the prevailing view of English physi-
clans was that the physical and mental
satisfaction which smokers derive
from pipe, cigar or cigaret practi-
cally offset the dangers OF nicotine.
This opinion has in turn been modi-
fed until now the average English doc
tor thoroughly approves the use Of to-
bacco not only harmless but whole
| some In 'counteracting some OF the
tendencies of high pressure modern
life. This attitude of the medical pro-
fession may have something to do with
| the enormous increase In the per capt.
ia consumption Of tobacco in England
during recent years, but the true ex-.
olanation will be found In the amazr
ng spread Of the cigaret habit among
women.
This is one of the burning questions
Of the hour in this country. Social ar
guments enter into the discussion as
much as physical ones. and do not
i intend to enumerate them. In fact, the
| subject has reached the controversial
stage in America also, If one can be-
lieve the confessions of American Wis.,
and IT would be superfluous, for me to
/ state the case Oro n nd CON sig5lt
But would the doctors approve OF
cigaret smoking by, women generally2 2
The question was suggested the other
day by my noticing the evident repug-
nance with which conservative young
Engl1sh matron consumed an after.
dinner cigaret. / asked herif she really
enjoyed tobacco.
1T hate it, she replied frankly, and
| then she explained that her doctor had
commanded her to smoke cigaret af-'
ter dinner and at bedtime. She had
tried everything for insomnia and
finally her physician prescribed tobac-
co, saying that he had found 1t effica-,
elous in a number of cases.
i do sleep better" she added, "but
detest tobacco in every form and I
am no more reconciled to 1t now than
/ at first"
But this case hardly suggests the an
swer the medical profession would give.
to the sweeping question. Should wo-.
men smoke?
Tobacco In War.
4 The Lancet this week is outspoken
upon the subject Of tobacco's. ad,vanl-
tages in campaigning. The war in
South Africa" it says, has taught
many things of greater or less tnport-
ance. Perhaps nothing that 1t has
demonstrated has been more. marked
a ri INF .,,>t ,toy,l
co plays in the soldiers existnca.
Whether this is to, be reckoned as u
| great fact or small one, there can ba
no doubt about the truth OF It. Yet the
Duke of Wellington's armies had NO
tobacco worth speaking of. II they
4 did not forbid it's use, at. any rate the
| Iron Dukes officers were directed to
advise their men strongly against 1t.
1 What curious contrast with the CAM
paigning in South Africa, wf,eru
marches and privatfons as long and a
stern as any suffered by our great
| grandfathers were suffered by our vol
unteers and soldiers OF today with u
grumb!e only when their .smokes'
failed them. We have 1t from many
who took part in the forced marches
leading to Paardeberg. to Bloe,nfon-
tein, to Pretoria and beyond. that
when rations We're but two or three
biscuits day the only real physical
! content of each twenty-four hours
/ game with the pipe smoked by the
lf'mouldering embers of a campfire,
fhis pipe eased the way to s.eep that
might otherwise have fingered. DELAYED
i by the sheer bodily fatigue and mental
Iiestiessness caused by prolonged and
lmorotonous ez:ertion.
4 a Real Help.
.'It is difficult. then, to believe that
tobacco sss anything but real help to
cen Who are suffering long labors and
receiving little food and proba5ly the
4 way in which it helps Is by euieting
sefehration--for no one doubts its sed-
it.tlTe gualitics--and thus aIlowin,
: mora easily sleep, which is SO all i,n-
portant when semi starvation HAS ia
4 be endured. The cases OF acute men
1 tai arrangement In the course of cam
4 paigns such as the present ars many.
"a There have indeed been many in South
! Africa. II would be most profitable
j;.nds interesting could medical of.1cers
lilave taken special note OF the sapa-
A ttity for. ss-eep previously evidenced by
.hcse who broke down and also OF
tkeiI. Indulgence or non Indulgence Ii,
Il Itobaeco. we are inclined to believe
n that, Used with due moderation, to-
bacco ig Of value second only to food
8 Itself VIXEN long privaticns and exer-
ticn3 are to be endured. Two fcaturas
Ire to be noted with regard to flie
I3mcldng practiced on active services. II
As almost entirely In the open air and
tit Y largely on an empty stomach