The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1916-03-24
How Tobacco Smoking Effects the
Lungs.


nourishment; (2) proper functional
activity; and g. the free discharge
of waste matter. Proper nourish-
ment depends in part on wholesome
food and good digestion. That to
bacco smoke has a bad effect ON ap-
petite and digestion has already been
noted.
Pure air is as necessary to proper
nourishment as is wholesome food.
The relation Of impure air to disease
Of the lungs is everywhere recog-
nized. Breathing impure air is one
Of the great causes of consumption.
The air we breathe ought to be an
pure as the food we eat or the water
we drink. To breathe any smoke
laden air is injurious. The smart OF
the eye, the disposition to sneeze or
cough, the ache of the head indicate
that such air ought not to be inhaled.
Tobacco smokers who do not inhale
directly from their pipes, cigars, or
cigarettes do. nevertheless, indirect
ly inhale the fumes of tobacco. Not
only do these smokers inhale the
fumes, but they frequently compel
the non-smoker to do the same. The
cigarette user almost invariably in
hales the smoke directly from the
cigarette. To breathe any smoke iS
harmful, to breathe tobacco smoke in
very harmful, and to inhale smoke
directly from the cigarette is most
harmful.
The mucus membrane of the lungs
is of the most marvelously delicate
character. This membrane presents
a surface of more than six hundred
square feet. So exceedingly thin iG
it that it forms scarcely any obstacle
to the passage of gases which enter
the lungs by respiration. Just un-
derneath this delicate membrane
passes all the blood of the body, or
an amount equivalent to the whole
volume of the blood, once every three
minutes. Hence it is that the MOST
speedy way of getting any volatile
poison into the system is by inhala-
tion: 1t Is we'll known that when
ether or chloroform are inhaled un-
consciousness is produced in very
short time. The poisonous fumes OF
the cigarette, some of them, are very
irritating even to the mucuS men-
brane of the mouth and throat. They
are much more irritating to the more
delicate membrane of the lungs. The
redness and dryness Of the mucus lin
ing of the mouth and throat, SO coma
mon with smokers, may be easily oh
served. Smokers sore throat i1
now recognized as distinct malady.
Though the irritated surface of tho
lungs cannot be seen there is evidence
of it in the dry, hacking cough of tho
smoker. Indirectly the lungs are al
fected through the blood and tho
nerves. The blood being charged
with the poisons from tobacco smoke
is incapable Of carrying proper nouF-
ishment to the various organs. Duo
organs work more constantly than
the heart and the lungs. Hence these
organs suffer very quickly from tho
lack Of proper nourishment. The
lungs of the growing boy need es-
pecially to be we'll nourished. BE-
cause smoking interferes with their
nourishment the lungs OF cigarette
users do not grow as rapidly a1
the lungs Of non-smokers. Smoking
impedes the growth of the whole
body, but it frequently has much
greater effect upon the lungs than
upon the other portions of the body.
This is why there are SO many hol-
low-chested boys among cigarette
smokers. DIR j. w. Seaver, who for
many years had charge of physical
education in Yale University, where
he examined and watched the devef-
opment of thousands of young men,
stated, in 1897, that non-s smoking stu
dents in that institution gained iM
lung capacity II per cent more than
those who had been regular smokers
for a year or more. Like observa-
tions with like results have been
made in other schools Of higher
learning. liz the effect upon young
men who are so near maturity is 0o
marked, 1t must be more marked ND
on small boys. Tobacco smoke irT1-
tates the nerves and has a paralyzing
effect upon them This, where tho
lungs are fully developed, effects
very seriously respiration ITO pro-
duces shortness Of breath. Hence it
IL that athletes are required tO re
frain from smoking.
This irritation OF the lung tissue,
lack of proper nourishment and deep
regular breathing prepares the way
for pulmonary tuberculosis Hence
1T Is that smoking in youth is no W--
common cause of this dreaded NAL
ady. DIR. ID. b. Kress, or Washington,
I'D. G., states that it 10 believed that
consumption il almost twice as fatal
among smokers as among non-8m0k-
ers
ITO be cOntinued.)