The Parma herald. (Parma, Idaho) 1903-1917, 1906-09-22
TOBACCO AS A DIsINFEcTANT.

No ohOACg EOTmnI6e-
hyde, Is Able TO XIII Microbes.
Although there is a general impress
sion tina; tobacco smoke is a germiclde
this property has not been assigned
hitherto to any one particular constit-
uent of the smoke. The author Of
note on the subject in the Lancet gives
reasons for believing that among other
germicidal constituents the smoke con-
tains formaldehyde. lie says:
"The composition of tobacco smoke is,
of course, complex, but everybody
knows that tarry oils are a principal
constituent, and certainly many oils
are powerfully antiseptic. Nicotine,
again, is a strong disinfectant. but the
quantity Of this poison in tobacco smoke
is minute, If, indeed, it is present at
all. At least in number of chemical
analyses of tobacco smoke made at diff
ferent times it was difficult to declare
with absolute certainty that nicotine
was an important constituent. The oily
matter which accumuIates IN tobacco
pipe is decidedly poisonous, but 1t does
not contain any appreciate quantity of
nicotine, the chief constituent being the
very poisonous pyridn.
Tobacco smoke contains a decided
quantity of the very poisonous gas car
bon monoxide which has been used fol
preserving purposes and which there
fore must possess germicidal proper
ties. Some simple experiments which
we have recently made would seem &c
confirm the observation that one Of the
principal constituents accounting fol-
the germicidal properties of tobacco
smoke is the powerful antiseptie formal
dehyde. The amount present is more
than Just appreciate. for If watel
through which few puffs of tobacco
have been passed is tested for formalde
hyde the result is strikingly positive
"The quantity of formaldehyde In to
bacco smoke would appear to depend
on the quality and kind Of tobacco
smoked. Thus the cigar appears t
Weld more formaldehyde than the pipe
and the pipe more than the cigarette
Possibly the peculiarly irritating prop
erty Of the smoke issuing from the glow
ing end of a cigarette or cigar or fron
the bowl of a pipe is due to tornado
hvde. II has more than once bee
stated that tobacco smokers enjoy al
Immunity from certain diseases, an
the frequent presence of a powerful an
tisen.ic in the mouth, nasal passage
and sometimes the lungs Gas In I'd
case of those who foolishly inhale tC
hocco smoke) would to some extent Jus
t,fv fine statement When it is consit
cred that In the nose a vast number Q
microbes are hourly deposited 1t is col
ceIvable that these may be eHectlVei
DESTROYED by the frequent passage
, tobacco smoke through that organ. l
, fine same way the organisms exposed
tobacco smoke in the mouth would SUI
cumb.
. .Formaldehyde is one Of the mo-
nowerful dlsinfectants we possess OIL
q mart in 10000 parts of water serving
destroy all microbes, while such a dilu'
solution has practically no poisono1
= action on the human organism. All u
same n Is most undesirable that tn
foct should stimulate the practice
smosing tobacco to absurd excess {
tobacco poisoning is greater raru
= than many persons think and 70 e. !
nlov tobacco in abusive quantities =
! The sake of destroying microbes mig
. amount possibly to killing the seeas
: ono disease only to counteract another