Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1915-05-16
EFFECT OF SMOKE ON HEALTH
what Researches and Invcsfiga-
lions Have Developed
Thua Far.

0ffictais Of the United States bureau
Of mines and OF the United States pubic
hensfh service are very much interested
IN the Sortes Of papers on the influence
OF smoke on health. which have Just been
pubnahed By the Mellon Institute Of In
dustEiai Research. which u carried on IN
cosnectiOn with tho scientific studies Of
the University q Ptttsburgh. Special in
terest attaches to the smoke studies which
hsve been conducted by the institute be-
cause the Investigation started at Pitts
burgh, which Is known generally 10 the
people OF the whole United States as the
smokiest Of smoky cities.
Experts Of the bureau OF mines arr In
terOsted in the MELONS Institutes smoke
study because the bureau has attacked
tho smoke problem for years on the
theory that smoke represents a waste
OF fuei resources and 10 evidence Of I'm
perfect combustion OF GOAL. The use OF
proper Types OF furnaces ana Dyoper
methods OF stocking coal win, officials Of
the bureau Of mines cay largely do sway
With the smoke problem Of any indus.
trial plant Tho governments public
health officials are giving enreful stucy
to the report because it may throw light
on many Of the health problems which
the bureau 70 called upon TO study.
Practically all OF the investigators who
have been engaged in the smoke study
made By the Mellon Inatitute are agreed
that smoke IN the atmosphere OF a city
had tremendous influence IN increasing
the severity OF illness ana ne mortality
Of acute diseases OF air passages OF the
human body. They say that this increase
IN susceptibility to disease is IN part ne
result OF lowering the natural renistanoe
20 disease. Dr. w. c. white sayu tina,
fn the study OF the effects OF smoke on
health ne finds In simple terms that ..the
smoker the atmoaphere the moro colds
ana pronchius and the more money paia
70 doctors"
maze OF the smoke problem IN Pitts-
oufsh AL sides OF the question have
osen considered. and the favorable evi.
oence toward smoke. a. well az the un.
taVoraoie, has been considered. Although
inc neiauon OF smoke TO tuberculosis ID
one OF greatly divided opinion, Or. White
points out that one Of the Conspicuous
tnin9s 70 physicians In Pittsburgh, on
wh'oh there IL general agreement, is the
siruiency OF pneumonia infection. II
varies from year to year. but seems tc
carry OIL tts death toll more quickly In
Fittnb1rgh than IN any OF the other elite.
which the Institutes experts investigated
IN speaking OF this phase OF the smoke
problem. DIT. White says;
IL is well TO call the public's attention
TO the fact that pneumonia has IN the
main an increasing death rate in many
etles, and In the country as a whole
thet h takes its victims from the en-.
uemes OF life. and also takes Off many
OF our most useful middie-aged business
men. and II Il were possible by municipal
ordnance 10 control In some way the
production Of useless smoke in the elite.
much might be done to conserve that on
which the community has expended the
most. and from which It might reason.
aoiy expect returns IN place OF death by
rapid Observation-Disclosures Star.