ON THE INFLUENCE OF TOBACCO SMOKING ON PUBLIC HEALTH.

Daily Southern Cross, Volume XVII, Issue 1378, 26 February 1861, Page 5

ON THE INFLUENCE OF TOBACCO SMOKING ON PUBLIC HEALTH.

Sir Charles Hastings, M.D.D.C.L., rearLtnWni. lowing paper on this subject at Glasgow '~^j/t/L In the pi ogress of this Association for thefl^^R nient of Social Science, its co-relation with^HHly science has been conspicuous, ami must ever lemam so. The truth is, that pieveutive medicine is of the highest importance m connection with advancing civilisation. Mr Uowpei's masteily acldiess at the I Congress last year was well-calculated to awaken an mteiest m the public mind on this subject. There can be no doubt that many habits and customs exist in society highly prejudicial to health, and that the alteration of them would tend to the prolongation of life. This Association will well peiform its duty by leading the public nimd, on these inatteis, m the right direction It is notonous that many active agents are m daily use by the community which act cleletenously on the system, and produce, m various ways, lnjuuous consequences It may be well considered one of the functions of tins enlightened body to point out the evil tendency of these agents, and thus induce persons to study for themselves the physiological action of such substances, by which a moie conect appieciation of then action will be realised. I may mention as agents moie oi less poisonous in thou tendency, which aie, nevei theless, extensively consumed m all civilised countnes, tobacco, opium, and alcohol, and even tea and coffee may, though in much less degiee, be consideied so. I am not about to eutei into the arena of disputation on these active agents Theio is doubtless gieat difftience of opinion in the medical piofessiou on these questions. But all will admit that they aie potent agents, and that it is desuablo foi the public good that they should be used disci eetly. The tobacco question is the oue to which I shall now diaw your attention. Few will be disposed to deny that at the present time tobacco is extensively consumed by all classes of the community Still fewei will be disposed to d?ny that it is a veiy active naicotic agent, that its empyieumatic oil acts most delctenously on the ncivous system, and in a concent! ated form, death speedily ensues fiom it Fiofo-m Jolmstone, of Duiham, as the lesult of lusau.ih h, >-Ute» that 'the chemical constituents of lubacco aie thipp in numbei —a volatile oi),a volatile alkah.andauempyteumacie oil. The volatile oil has the odoiu of tobacco, and possesses j, bitter taste. On the ima.oh and tfuoat it pioduces a sensation &imilai to that caused by tobac co smoke. When applied to the nose it occasions sneezing, and when taken internal ly it ';ive-, use to giddiness, nausea, and inclination to -vomit The volatile alkali has the odoiu of tobacco, .111 aciid, burning, loug-contmumg tobacco taste, and possesses narcotic and very poisonous qualities. In this latter respect is scarcely infenoi to prussic acid, a smde diop bemg sufficient to kill a dog Its vapoui is so untating, that it is difficult to bieathe m a 100 m m which a single diop has been evapoiated. A hunched pounds of the diy tobacco leaf yield about seven pounds of nicotia. In smoking a hunched giauis of tobacco, therefore.sayaquaiteiof an ounce, theiemiy be drawn into the mouth two giains oi moie of oue of the most subtle of all known poisons. The empreumatic oil is acid and disagieeable to the taste, narcotic and poisonous. One diop applied to the tongue of a cat biought on convulsions, and m two minutes occasioned death. The Hottentots aie said to kill snakes by putting a di op of it on their tongues Under its influence, the leptilcs die as instantaneously as if killed by an electi ie shock. It nppeai sto act neaily in the same way as piussic acid. Experience proves that a laige proportion of those who smoke or chew tobacco, do so undei the conviction that it is always innocuous m its effects, and often beneficial. Now, this is a mistake which the eveiy-day obsei vation of medical practitioners can attest. For amongst the patients who consult us for various nervous and stomach complaints, it will be found that tobacco smokeis form a large piopoition. Indeed, we find, unexpectedly sometimes, on enqiuiy, that the habit of smoking is the somce of very distressing ailments, which immediately or giadually subside 011 omitting the use of this diug. It is grievous to obseive that tlus habit is prevailing among young people, upon whom its effects aie most likely to be prejudicial. Strikingly illustrative of this positiou is the fact, wlncli has been veiy recently made public, that 111 the competitive examinations to which young persons are submitted in the military schools of France, the smokers of tobacco occupy the lowest place. I may also be permitted to state that one of the most seveie cases of epilepsy I ever saw arose m a boy of twelve years of age, who had been for two years a tobacco smoker, which habit he continued after the disease attacked him, and it was in vain that remedies were applied so long as the habit was continued ; but after it became known that he pursued this pernicious practice, and he was pi evented continuing it he speedily leoovered, and has been since kept iv good health. We shall be no doubt told that thousands pursue this practice without producing epilepsy, and this is true ; but how many of those thousands suffer cousideiablo inconvenience and derangement of the functions of the nervous and digestive system, without tracing them to their true origin. If this be so how important it is that this great Association should disseminate souud views with lespect to the actiou of tobacco on the system, and the open declaiation of such a oongress as this that tlus drug should be used with caution, and not indiscriminately, would not fail to do some good. This Association cannot mterfeie with individual actions It cannot ventuie to give piecepts as to diet and regimen. Tlus belongs to the modical practitioner ; but now feeble is his voice, iinless the person asking it js bowed down by "disease and suffonng. But looking at this question 111 a samfewy point of view, this eongiess may point

to the fact that the daily use of tobacco is not a negative thing. According to the laws which govern the human system it is an agent from which decided results are produced and therefore the commuity shoold bo on their guard. An admonition from such a body will come with tenfold greater effect than irom a body of medical practitioners whoso monitions only find their way among the sick and those needing medical care, while we feel that what is done here will permeate the community at large, and will find its way to those who are unconsciously poisoning themselves by an agent of whose injurious effects they are ignorant. Sir Benjamin Brodie, in his admirable letter, published extensively in the newspapers, m a very sensible manner points out the ettects of this agent. He says :— "The effects of this iv i c mdeetl various, the difference depending on the differences of constitution, and difference m the inodo of life otherwise. But, from the best observations which I have been able to make on the subject, I am led to believe that theie aie very few who do not miffei harm f rom x t to a gieater or lesser extent. Ihe eaihest symptoms are manifested in the derangement of the nervous system. A large proportion of habitual smokeis are lendered lazy and listless,indisposed to bodily, and incapable of much mental, exertion. Others suffer much from depression of the S2>rnts, amounting to hypoehondriasis, which smoking lelieves for a time, but adds to the evil adds to the evil aftei\vaids>. Occasionally there is a general nervous excitability, which though very much less in degree, partakes of the natnie of dehrmm tremens in drunkards. I have known many individuals to suffer horn severe nervous pains, sometimes m one, sometimes m another paifc of the body " The habit of smoking and of chewing tobacco is no doubt sometimes pursy d without the practice being found to be detrimental by the persons themselves, owing to the fact that by its physiological action, it dulls sensibility, and relieves uneasy sensations, and with somo it would appeal to assist digestion when taken after a meal, but theie ib much deception in this and when we come to examine those cases, it will usually be found that some injurious eftect is being unconsciously pioduced. In truth, it is m thisveiy cnciunstauce that the dangei of the practice consists, foi it is evident that the people aic indwcnminately using a poisonous agent, capable of producing pleasiuable sensations, but productive in the end of very baneful consequenceb How is this evil to be avei ted ' One means of pievention is extensively circulating tho knowledge of the fact that serious injury is being caused in tho community by tobacco smoking, and the action of this association may effect this to a consideiable degiee, by widely disseminating correct views of the effects of tobacco on the system, and thus awakening people to a sense of the danger. The vdiious institutions that aie now formed and supported for the purpose of diffusing useful knowledge among the labouring classes, ought to be available to assist in this ■« ork, if theii managers could be made awake to the importance of the question ; but I foar, in many instances, these societies aie not aware of the baueful action of tobacco on the fiatne. If they were, .smoking looms would not form a part of the establishment, whereby the onward piogiess of civilisation is proposed to be insured. It is a sad reflection that it should be consideied necessary to iumire the attendance of members at a society, whose piofessed object is to advocate civilisation, by diffusing ait and science, that theie should be the means applied for indulging in the evil habit of smoking, as m the clubs of the anstociacy. This Association may at any late laise a wainiug voice against such erroneous proceedings, which must doubtless tend to enervate our population, and eventually to produce a degenerate race. Conclusions— That the effects of tobacco-smoking are chiefly dependent upon an empyreumatic volatile oil, and othei active principles, whose dnect tendency is to act injuriously ou the noivous system and digestive oigans; That tobacco is. extensively consumed by the community, and its use ought to be discouiaged ; That this Association emphatically records its conviction that societies formed for the purpose of piomotmg useful knowledge amongst the working classes should on no account provide smoking -1001ns for the inembeis, 'Morning Mail,' Sth September.