Los Angeles herald., 1908-09-21
recorded as having died. as against
ESQ per cent of the non-alcoholics.

recorded as having died. as against
$50 per cent of the non-alcoholics.
adding the two items disease ar
rested and improvements together, we
have for the alcoholics total of 27.44
per cent as against 51.15 per cent for
the non-alcoholics. showing nearly
twice as good g. result for the nom
alcoholics as for the alcoholics. In the
other two items of unimproved and
| death we have 1857 per cent unim-
proved and 22.S7 per cent deaths, max
ing total of 72.54 per cent of bad re-
suits for the alcoholics as against 1888
per cent deaths. making total of
48. "a per cent of bad results for the
non-alcoholics.
Both in the favorable and in the un-
favorable results the advantage is on
the side of the non-alcoholic almost to
the extent of 100 per cent. 1t certainly
does look as though, at least in the
development of tuberculosis, alcohol
ism is a very unfavorable factor. The
only item in which alcoholics show bet
ter results than non-alcoholics Is
disease arrested and in this there Is
only a slight difference.
"On the use of tobacco we have
taken statistics for one year only. So
far as our statistics go they are quite
interesting. OF the patients about
whom a record was made as to the use
in some form or another and $3.50 per
cent did not use it. No women are re-
corded as having used tobacco. or the
443 males treated 1888 per cent used
tobacco, 26.S6 per cent did not use 1t,
and of AS per cent no record was
made. OF the persons who used to-
bacco 81 80 per cent smoked only, 1888
per cent chewed only and 1913 per cent
both chewed and smoked.
adding up the two favorable rec
ords, namely. disease arrested and i'm
proved, we have 1928 per cent favor
able records of those who did use to-
bacco, as against 4742 per cent of
those who did not use 1t; and adding
up the two unfavorable records we
have 61.70 per cent unfavorable of
those who used tobacco. as against
2.62 per cent of those who did not use
! it, The preponderance of favorable
results for those who did not use to-
bacco is not quite as large as the pre-
ponderance of favorable results for
non alcoholics, but is also pretty large.
Here again, as with alcoholism, we
| have merely evidence as to the infiu-
ence of tobacco on the development
| and mortality of tuberculosis and not
upon implanation. The preposterous
claim which has been made that to-
bacco is a preventive of tuberculosis
| INFLAMMATION cannot be maintained, in
the presence of the statistics here
given of a large number of tobacco
users who have developed tuberculosis.
More than two-thirds of the males
who applied for treatment used to-
bacco in one form or another. The sta
tistics here given. If they have any
meaning at all, would seem to indicate
! that the use of tobacco has a predis-
posing influence for the implantation
of tuberculosis. In fact, the extensive
use of tobacco by males may be one
of the explanations why tuberculosis
is at present so much more prevalent
among males than among females.
1.-The damaging influence of tobacco
| in tuberculosis is probably exercised
through the circulation. Tobacco un-
doubtedly depresses the heart and in
terferes to some extent with vigorous
circulation. It is generally conceded
that anything which depresses the cir
| culation interferes with nutrition, and
consequently predisposes to tubercu-
losis, both in implantation and devel-
! opment."