The Democrat-sentinel. [volume] (Logan, Ohio) 1906-1935, 1908-07-23
Use and Effects of Tobacco
PY j. X MAUK, NJ D., CAMBRIDGE
CITY, IND. READ AT THE STATE
MEDICAL SOCIETY, INDIANAPOLIS
INDIANA


All nations, as far as is known
use some kind of nervous excitant
Alcohol in some of it's various
forms, opium and its derivatives,
cocaine, tea, cuifee, and tobacco,
constitute the principal agents
used for this purpose. The science
of entomology teaches us that in
sects exist in this cnuntry, toe
numerous to describe separately In
this paper, but upon the whole,
are classed as harmful and de.
structive, harmless and beneficial
With q proper knowledge and un-
derstanding, we must concede this
to be correct-likewise, with mar.
cotics and stimulants, we have the
harmless, beneficial, and not only
useless, but destructive, and one
of this class is tobacco.
Most all of the fore named
agents are classed among our most
potent medicines, with the excep-
tion of tobacco, which is of doubt
full utility. AS the use of any one
of these agents will furnish sutfi-
cient material to tire the patience
of this medical association, shall
confine this paper, mostly, to one
of the above named poisons-to-
bacco.
1t is quite probable that tobacco
was not known to the civilized
world before Columbus discovered
America; hence the astonishment
of Columbus and his crew, at see.
ing smoke issuing from the mouths
and nostrils of the natives, as they
smoked tobacco in long reeds
Indications show that in Ameri-
ca tobacco was used as long ago as
the indefinite far-away mound
builders period, as is evidenced
by stone pipes of that era, which
can be seen in almost every anti
quarian cabinet in the country. l
remember we'll one or two of such
pipes having been recovered from
mound situated on my grand
fathers farm, and one of those
pipes was kept by my father as
relic, as long as | was member of
the family circle. 1t is possible
that while these ancient mound
builders, with the use of tobacco,
were piling up those comparative
" insignificant monuments of
earth, the Egyptians, without to
bacco, were rearing those imper
ishable pyramids, which are the
wonders of today, the problem of
the world. Without tobacco, too,
those huge stones seventy-two feet
long, seventeen feet wide and
thirteen feet thick, were moved
nearly mile from the quarry and
elevated into wall thirteen feet
from the ground, triumph of art
which all science of The present
day, aided by tobacco and alcohol,
had not accomplished.
Consider the fact that the Unit
ed States alone produces nearly
fifteen thousand million pounds OF
tobacco annually, and consumes
nine Hundred million dollars
worth annually, and at the pres
ent time the amount Of tobacco
employed as therapeutic agency
is so insignificant that it Is not
worthy Of place in therapeutics,
and should have been excommuni-
Gated long since. We are aware
that most users of tobacco claim il
ls almost specific for their par.
ticular ailment, but it must not be
forgotten that the habitual smok-
ers and chewers are interested
witnesses, and can not see the
truth on this particular subject.
We know this from personal ex-
perience. We have been all along
the line and know every inch of
the road, have not acquainted
myself only with rods and fur
longs, but every inch of the way.
know every crook, turn and angle
of the way of a tobacco fend. |
was not naturally tobacco user
neither is any one else. was de-
coyed into chswIng when small
boy, about ten years old, and
smoking when about fifteen years
old, of which will give in further
detail later on.
To intelligent people we will
put the following interrogatories