The new era., 1912-04-25
First Prize Essay.
BY Mildred Chapel.

Alcohol and tobacco; these two
things are the most injurious in the
world. They do not benefit a per-
son in any way. Great teachers
have been experimenting for many
years and have not found any good
results from either alcohol or to-
bacco.
Tobacco contains poison called
nicotine. 1t is said by eminent
chemists to be one of the most
powerful nerve poisons known.
Only small portion of this poison
is contained in an ounce of tobacco
and for that reason its deadly work
is very slow and at first impercep-
tible.
A famous doctor wrote an arti-
Gle upon nerve disease caused by
smoking. He states he has en-
countered sciatica in thirty -one
cases and neuralgia in twenty-five
others, in all of which excessive
smoking seemed to be the essential
cause. He says tobacco seems to
make the motor nerves very sus-
ceptible to the effect of slight in
juries, partial paralysis of the FORE
arm and foot occurring in smokers
who sat long in one position. These
men we're not alcohol users and
were otherwise healthy.
When alad thoughtlessly begins
the tobacco habit how little he
dreams of what its effect upon him
may be. Perhaps blindness in
middle age, especially if alcohol
drinking is added; perhaps weak
heart, rheumatism or possibly in
sanity. Some men, especially those
who work out of doors, may both
smoke and drink and suffer little
more than from rheumatism but,
this is bad enough. But the high
strung youth who INDUCES in these
poisonous habits may expect to
pay the price in someform of nerve
misery before he is past forty-five
Boys addicted to the smoking of
cigarettes become first pale and
sallow. Their eyes are CLASSY and
staring, with heavy black rings en-
circling them. They become lazy,
Indifferent, listless, untrustworthy
untruthful and vicious in every way.
The habit is ruinous to boy-phy-
sically. mentally and morally.
Nothing more truthful could be
said than what some bright person
put into the following cigarette So
!iloquy: II am not much of math-
ematician. said the cigarette, but |
can add to youths nervous troub-
les, can subtract from his physi-
cal energy; can multiply his aches
and pains, | can take interest from
his work and discount his chances
for success A report from the
United States Naval Academy de-
clares. Among the results of to-
bacco using in this school are de-
rangement of the circulatorysystem
and palpitation of the heart, which
lessen the capacity of the pupil for
study and application.
The opinion of Thomas A. Edison
in regard to the smoking of cigar
cites is as follows: The smoking
of cigarettes is one of the worst.
most offensive and harmful habits
acquired by man. 1t ought to be
against the law TO sell or make
them. They 60 well together those
two drugs--cigarettes and alcohol.
and they accomplish wonders in
reducing man to vicious animal.
Alcohol is volantile. inflamma-
BILE. cororless liquid; has penetrat-
ing odor and burning taste. The
constituent parts Of all alcoholic
liquors are carbon. hydrogen and
oxygen. but these are in different
proportions in the several kinds OF
alcohol.
Alcohol attacks first the highest
centers and functions of the body.
In all mental work quality and
speed are considered. Alcohol
first effects the quality of the work
before the speed. A noted profes-
sor. in his experiments found that
reading aloud was rendered less
trustful and accurate by the use of
alcohol Many mistakes we're
made. The ability to add figures
decreases rapidly under the influ-
erce Of alcohol. Those who habit
ually use alcohol cannot tell the
truth because their memory cells
do not record a vivid and exact i'm
preston. The very smallest doses
harm the brain cells and the cen
ters of highest intellectual develop
ment. Mans greatest glory is his
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