The searchlight. [volume] (Culbertson, Mont.) 1902-current, 1911-01-06
TOBACCO IS h6I BAD
Professor Of Columbia UniversitS
Makes Numerous Tests.
Physical WsII-eeIns Of Mature Men
Little Affected BY Its Use-Apprs-
eiabis Differences Between
Non-smoksrs and Smokers.

New York.-The results OF an inves.
usation OF the effects Of smoking ON
Students Of Columbia university. which
was made By Dr.. George L. Meylan.
head OF the Columbia eymnasipm
have been made public In the Popu.
lar Science Monthly.
They show that on the whole those
VINO smoke are not injured seriously.
u at al. Dr.. Aeylan "experimented-
on something more than 200 students.
about 50 per cent. of whom smoked.
DR.. Meylan points out At the be-
ginning Of his article that his chief
aim was to determine II smoking ex.
erted any influence upon the physical
and mental characteristics of college
students. He does not try to presen,
the moral or economic sides of the
question. He examined s2s students.
ITO OF whom smoked. The age AT
which they acquired the habit varied
rom one at seven years to Is at six.
teen years. 80 at seventeen. l6 at nine
teen and one at twenty-one.
The average physical measurements
OF 145 students form the basis for
table Of their development over a ne.
Rod OF two years. S1xty-six students
who smoked gained about eight
pounds In weight. against gain Of six
pounds by a non-smokers.
The same students made a net in.
crease Of IL centimeters In height for
the smokers and IL for the nop-smok.
ers. In lung capacity. however, the
non-smokers surpassed the smokers,
gaining 20 a. against os. In total
strength the smokers were ahead
again. however. having an Increase of
l03 units. as against 1ol.
1t appears from the tables" SAYS
DR.. Meylan. that there is no appreci.
able difference between the measure
ments OF smokers and non -smokers In
the matter Of age. where the smokers
are the older. The slight advantage
In the average measurements Of the
smokers is undoubtedly due to the
fact that they are eight months older.
The slightly larger gain made by
smokers In weight. height and total
strength during the first two years in
college is really too small to have any
Significance"
In scholarship the non smokers had
distinct advantage. Tho smokers
averaged so per cent In their studies
at entrance. 81 Der cent during the
FIRST two years. and Z per cent. of fail
ures.
The non-smokers got 81 per cent in
their entrance examinations and 60
per cent. In their FIRST two years In
college. while only I per cent were
failures.
In this respect Dr. Meylan thinks
there is a distinct relation between
smoking and scholarship.
OF the same set OF students AZ per
cent Of the smokers won places on
varsity athletic teams. while only 81
per cent. Of the non smokers could get
places. II was discovered that Sc per
cent Of all the varsity athletes at Co
lumbia were smokers. as compared
with 52 per cent Of all students.
In conclusion DR.. Meylan says:
"All scientists are agreed that the
use Of tobacco by adolescents is injuri.
Gus: parents. teachers and physicians
should strive earnestly against its use.
There Is no scientific evidence that
the moderate use OF tobacco by
healthy. mature men produces any
beneficial or injurious physical ef.
fects that can be measured.
1T has been shown that the use of
tobacco by college students il closely
associated with idleness. lack Of ambi.
ton and application. and how scholar
ship"