The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1920-09-24
College Girls
Smoke, Chew in
Mentality Case
Professor Pays Students to
Determine What Effect
Weed Has Upon
the Mind

NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. girl STU
dents at the University Of Wisconsin
will be paid 40 cents an hour next
winter to blow blue clouds of smoke
into the laboratory of Professor NJ. F..
O'Shea.
The same privilege is now being
handed out of the humidor to twenty
four male students and the -makin's
are free.
For eighteen months these students
have been the subject of an investi-
CATION of Professor O'Shea, who is
seeking to determine what effect, if
any, tobacco has on the mental facul-
ties of the users. The test will last
another six months.
One of the purposes of the. investi-
CATION is to see if tobacco has the
same effect on girls it produces on
men. Just what the test has shown
to date, Professor O'Shea will not tell.
He will make a complete report when
it is finished.
Simultaneously, similar investiga-
lions are being made at Johns Hop
kins University of Michigan, Leland
Stanford, Harvard and Cornell
In these schools, however, the
examinations are to determine the eff
feet of tobaccon on the physical body
and the morals. Professor O'Shea is
specializing on the mental effect only
Since chewing is also included in the
test Professor O'Shea is prepared tc
raise the pay little as an added in
ducement when he collects his class
of goods.
This work is being carried on for
scientific purposes only" Professor
O'Shea explained in Madison. ct is
not in the interest of any propaganda
whatever. Personally we do not care
whether tobacco is harmful or not. All
we want is the scientific truth which
we will publish to the world"
The students upon whom the inves-
legations are being made have no idea
what the test will show. The profes-
sor has been careful to keep them in
the dark ON the subject
1.-THE idea is this he explained, "is
to eliminate all suggestions from their
minds. If should let them know
either frankly or by intimation what
II am learning the very knowledge
would have some suggestive influence
on their minds which would hamper
my work. am studying the effect OF
tobacco in all forms. Some of my sub
jects smoke pipes, some cigars, others
cigarettes, while still another group
chew the weed.
These young men use tobacco only
when tell them to do so and abstain
when | give the order / spend three
and half hours a day with them in
the laboratory.
pay NY ouuJCSI ~ CCAto oil hOui
and the University supplies the to-
bacco. l have them smoke under all
conditions. Sometimes before they
study for their other classes, some
times afterward Also sometimes be-
fore meals and at other times immedi-
ately afterward. Our laboratory is a
very pleasant place, more like par
lor with big easy chairs, than like a
workshop"
One of the requirements that the
professor makes of his students is that
they will not discuss the work with
outsiders. This also is to keep out
suggestions.
An effort to draw out one of the
boys brought this retort: you tell
'em, you're a newspaper guy" which
shows how much his mentality has
been affected.
In addition to reporting his own
findings, Professor O'Shea will include
in his report the testimony of 1000
buoinacc mon who emplOy smokers.