Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1902-04-26
,relgn poison which II contains.


we are not at a loss for evidence, and
that of a most unimpeachable char
acter.
From the measurements of ls7 men
in the class OF 1891, Yale college, DIR.
j. w. Seayer found that the non-users
of tobacco gained in weight during the
college course 1o.4 per cent. more
than the regular users, and Go per
cent. more than the occasional users.
In height the non-users increased "a
per cent. more than the regular users,
and - per cent, more than the occa-
sional users. In increase of chest
girth the non-users had an advantage
of 26.7 per cent. and % per cent, and
an increase of lung capacity of VA
and 40 per cent, respectively. These
facts in regard to the dwarfing eff
fects of tobacco are eorroborated by
the observations on the class of 1891,
Amherst, made by DIR. Edward Hitch
cock. He found that in weight non
smokers increased during their course
"a per cent. more than the smokers: in
increase in height they surpassed
them 81 per cent; in gain of chest,
AZ per cent, and in gain of lung ca
pacity, IS per cent. In Yale only 22
per cent. of those reaching the high
est grade in scholarship were users
of tobacco, while IS per cent. of the
lowest grade used it.
AT the Polytechnic school in France
1t was found that the non-smokers
took the highest rank in every grade,
and that the smokers continually lost
grade. Hence the use of tobacco was
prohibited in the public schools. 1t is
also prohibited in our government
schools at Annapolis and West Point.
1t is stated that one-ffth of all the
boys who apply for admission to the
Naval academy are rejected on &C
count of irregularity of the hearts
action, and this, the surgeons claim,
is caused almost universally by smok-
ing cigarettes.
DR.. Francis L. Bowling, in a paper
read before the Mississippi Valley
Medical association, shows, as the re-
suit of careful Investigations by him.
self aud others, that impaired vision
Is one of the common results of the
habitual use of tobacco. He conduct
ed a personal examination Of $50 male
employees in large tobacco factory,
all of whom used tobacco. OF these
he found that in As cases the normal
acuteness of vision was diminished
In greater or less degree. In 30 cases
the impairment was very serious, and
was accompanied with some form of
color-blindness.
A New York occulist describes a pc
culiar disease of the eve among
smokers, the symptoms of which are
dimness and film-like gatherings over
the eye, which appear and disappear
at intervals. This has been shown to
be due to the use of tobacco, and can
only be cured by long treatment. 1t is
known as the cigarette eye.
1t is often claimed that there are
many strong and vigorous persons
who can use tobacco without injury.
AS proof of this instances are
pointed out of many habitual users of
tobacco who have attained hale and
hearty old age, some of whom even
believe that their lives have been
heightened by its use. From these
cases il is argued that the use of to-
bacco is not necessarily harmful.
The answer TO this argument is
twofold. In the first place, the prop
er mode of testing the effects Of q
drug is by watching the results of it's
use, not by the strong and vigorous,
who can endure much, and are not
easily influenced, but by the young,
the weak and the delicate, upon whom
any influence, whether beneficial or
injurious, is easily manifested. II to-
bacco is essentially beneficial in it's
nature it will benefit this class as well
as the strong and robust. And il IL is
Injurious to the weak and frail. the
Inference is safe one that it is essen
tally of a harmful nature, and that to
all alike.
In the second place, IN order TO de-
termine with any claim to scientific
accuracy, the nature and effect of to-
bacco upon the human system, it is
necessary to observe its action, not
only upon the individual user, but also
upon his descendants. Tested in this
manner, the statement may safely be
made that among those strong and
vigorous men who have used tobacco
habitually and constantly for many
years without apparent injEry, in not
a single instance will their children.
especially those born after the habit
has been long INDUCED IN, possess an
equal degree Of vigor and endurance;
and particularly in not a single in
stance can they indulge in the ha-
bitual use Of tobacco without expert
encing those injurious effects which
their fathers escaped. But whatever
may be the verdict with reference to
the use of tobacco by healthy adults
there exists no difference of opinion
among physicians or scientific men
to its effects upon young and grow
Ing boys. All agree that none of
these ought, for the sake of their own
development, physical, mental and
moral, to use tobacco in any form.
1t is its effects upon this class which
constitutes the essential reason WHY
the cigarette habit is properly re-
garded as a menace to civilization
7. M. French, NJ. D., IN Journal of Inc