Year: 1873

That which Injuries or enfeebles the
blood must, as matter of course, affect
the health and the brain. If then, We
ascertain the physiological effect of to-
bacco upon the life fluid, we shall be in
fair way for deciding the question, es-
pecially if we find individual cases con-
firming the views thus arrived at. There
is nothing stronger in medical evidence
than the agreement of physiology and
pathology DIR. Richardson has so clearly
explained the influence of smoking upon
the blood, that it will be best to quote
his graphic account. His scientific emil
nence entities his evidence to respect,
and lovers of the weed must recollect
that it is smoker to whom they are lis
tening: "On the blood the prolonged in
halation of tobacco produces changes
which are very marked in character. The
fluid is thinner than is natural, and in
extreme cases paler. In such instances
the deficient color of the blood is com
municated to the body altogether, rem
dering the external surface yellowish


white, and puffy. The blood being thin,
also exudes freely, and cut surface
bleeds for long time, and may continue
to bleed inconveniently, even in opposi-
ton to remedies. But the most impor-
tant change is exerted on those little
bodies which float in myriads in the
blood and are known as the red globules
These globules have naturally a double
concave surface, and at their edges a
perfectly smooth outline. They are very
soluble in alkalies, and are subject to
change of shape and character when the
quality of the fluid in which they float is
modified in respect to density. The alb
sorption, therefore, of the fumes of to-
bacco necessarily leads to rapid changes


in them; they lose their round shape,
they become oval and irregular at their
edges and instead of having q mutual
attraction for each other and running to-
gether, good sign of their physical
health, they lie loosely scattered before
the eve, and indicate to the learned OBJ
server as clearly as though they spoke to
him and said the words, that the man
from whom they were taken is physically


depressed and deplorably deficient both
in muscular and mental power. Tobacco
modiies the circulation in the brain, as


in other portions of the body; Hence it
would be remarkable indeed if it did not
exercise some influence upon the mechan-
| ism of thought. "a sincere, selfobserv-
ing smoker cannot fail, says M. Meunier,
"to recognize that tobacco creates q new
nature, more disposed to dreaming than


action" Although great smoker him
self, he considered the habit was inimi-
cal to the rational mind. His frequent
diatribes against this mort aur peoples ex-
cited much railery; but the habit of
twenty years was long too strong for him,
So close was the connection between


work and smoke with NJ. Meunier, that
the amount of intellectual labor he had
performed was chronicled by the extent
of his consumption of tobacco. When,
at last, after many fruitless attempts, he


put his conduct in harmony with his


opinions, it required several weeks of un,


divided attention to break the chains oi


habit which bound him. The mode in


which nicotine acts upon the blood yes


sells explains the apparent contradiction


that it should be able to excite into mo


mentary activity an organ which it ha
enfeebled and stupeied. The excitemen
and over activity which it causes in tn