The Dolores star., 1909-12-10

S9z<pazs
NERVOUSNESS AND INSANITY


Clear cass Aoslnst Teseese - D.
streyss eS sanity n JnvsnIIs
Brain ~ opeelallst
N . paper read before Tie d. Louis
Medical society recently. Dr. L. Brs-
Def, hate physician to the st. VIM
cents Institution for the Insane. At
st. Louis. said:
There is no narcotic. either In mod
ern or ancient times. which has been
and still is. 20 universally in use. -
tobacco. and there IL none about
whose action on the human body
there IL 90 much di6erence Of opin-
Ion among the laity and the profes-
sion.
Whereas, BY some, II 10 looked upon
~ an upmitigated evil. 1t IL claimed
by others. that its use IL not without
advantage. Hence. It has been con-
demned and commended in turns. Its
friends have. 20 far. carried the day;
its triumphal march over nearly the
whole civilized and uncivilized globe
has been continuous.
Without entering Into preliminaries
and details. will state ut the outset.
that I side with those who, looking at
the Injurious effects collectively. con-
slider 1t more harmful than alcohol.
from the simple fact that its use is
more general, its effects more grad
nal and less obvious. and that. from =
moral point Of view. It IL in better
standing.
The breath Of tobacco Is held per.
missibls and will be condoned by all
classes: that Of alcohol Is looked
upon ~ odious and exposes it, bearer
IN some quarters to social ostracism.
II II this connivance. on the part
Of public opinion. at this kind of luz
us-consumption. ~ It 10 euphoniously
styled BY modern psychologists. that
fosters its spread. especially amongst
those who can least afford to offer
any insult to their nervous systems.
And unfortunately 1t 10 Just this class
Of persons who delude themselves in
to the belief. that tobacco IL indis-
pensable to them. With advancing
civilization It IL considered necessary
BY many to use 4 sedative or stim-
ulant OF some sort as . kind Of q
safety-valve for the growing nervous
ness Of our age.
Thus. by many smokers 1t Is
thought that after bodily or mental
exertion an equilibrium Of all the
functions il re-established by the
pipe cigar or plug. Its action. there.
II somewhat like that Of coca In its
pleasant effects.
This II the case in the healthy smo-
ker ~ long ~ he keeps within Ger
tain limits. But It II quite different
with the vast and ever.increasing ar
my Of neurasthenics or psychopaths
o( our days.
Our ancestors were evidently not 30
deleteriously affected either by alco-
hol> or tobacco. as modern man II.
with the strain of the requirements Of
. more complicated life weighing
upon him. and handicapped. a. he
frequently ID, In his nervous and
psychical makeup.
II II specially Of the effect Of to-
bacco on this latter class that wish
to speak In the following remarks:
It b just persons Of this category
(who are often not at all aware OF
their morbid condition). that become
such absolute and powsrless slaves to
the habit. They fall victims to 1t
early In life as = rule. Whilst the
healthy human organism revolta
against the drug as Intensely AZ that
Of dog or cat. and has to gradu.
ally accustom itself to overcome the
unpleasant sensations accompanying
the first attempts at using 1t, the born
young duck does to water. Only in
this manner can the peculiar phenom.
enon Of infant-smokers be explained
II one does not prefer to look upon
such perversion Of appetite as q spe
cies of precocious moral insanity In
herited from parents who are gener
ally not only excessive tobacco-users
but evidently mentally defective.
Now. do not believe that. with ap
preaching maturer years, I am one oi
those who eye through pessimistit
spectacles the rising generation, but
i simply repeat the everyday observa
tion, which have never seen doubt
ID or contradicted. that there is al
alarming increase Of juvenile smo
kers: and. basing my assertion on the
experience. gathered In my private
practice and at the st. Vincent's In
stitution Of this city. will broadly
state that the boy who smokes at sew
on. will drink whisky at fourteen. TAXI
to morphine at twenty or twenty-five
and wind up with cocaine and the res
Of the narcotics. at thirty and latel
ON.
Duslnsss and strong Drink.
The employer virtually says to til,