The Marlborough Express PUBLISHED EVERY EVENING THURSDAY, APRIL 28, 1910. "MY LADY NICOTINE."

Marlborough Express, Volume XLIV, Issue 95, 28 April 1910, Page 4

The Marlborough Express PUBLISHED EVERY EVENING THURSDAY, APRIL 28, 1910. "MY LADY NICOTINE."

Attention is once more called to the much-debated subject of the effects of tobacco on the human system by the recent issue, by several distinguished commanding officers of the British Army, of special orders designed to restrict cigarette-smok-ing among the rank-and-file. This question is, of course, a very imEoi*tant one^ concerning as it does a abit that, according to some, although apparently harmless, is bound slowly to undermine the constitution ; but looked at from the point of view of the community at large, is this adverse criticism of one of our most popular pleasures supported by the results one sees in everyday life ? Apparently not. Apart from a comparatively few susceptible individuals, the great majority of fairly heavy smokers do not appear, even to the trained eye, to be on the way to physical ruin. Yet, on the other hand, it would be quite wrong to take the view that tobacco-smoking is absolutely harmless, as every physician from time to time has before him objective evidence of the disturbances of health to which the habit may lead, and which, indeed, are sometimes extremely serious. The chief poison which exists in the products of tobacco combustion is, of

course, nicotine, which occurs in such very small quantities in© the smoke taken in that under ordinary circumstances its presence is not noticed; but still it is there in quite sufficient quantities to affect anyone Avho possesses a special susceptibility to its effects. In persons who have come to exceed the limits of moderation, which, of course, vary for different individuals, the warning that they are smoking too much usually comes in the same way as to those who are particularly susceptible. That is to say, attacks of giddiness, forgetfulness, discomfort, or pain over the region of the heart, with an occasional fluttering sensation in that important organ, should at once warn the smoker that he must begin to cut down his allowance. If not he will very Likely find that chronic indigestion "subsequently occurs, with increasing ill-health, and possibly that most serious of the effects of tobacco, blindness, for in some cases of prolonged tobacco - poisoning, disease (atrophy) of the nerve of sight (the optic nerve) has been known to occur. Fortunately such cases are rare, and only as a rule occur in those who have neglected previous warning signs. The physician is often asked, which is the least harmful, a pipe, a cigar, or cigarettes? And although here again individuals vary as to the effects upon them of each of these three forms of smoking, it may be taken as a general rule that the pipe is the least harmful, owing to the fact that condensation occurs in the stem, and thus prevents a good proportion of the injurious by-products from reaching the mouth. The cigarette probably comes next, as, being freely open to the air, very complete combustion occurs in it, which prevents much moisture reaching the mouth, and at the same time tends to burn up the nicotine; whilst the cigar is the most likely to cause injurious" effects owing to the fact that it affords an excejent medium through Avhich moisture laden with nicotine and other products can get into the mouth; and as a matter of practical observation one finds that excessive cigar smoking is the most likely of the three forms to injure health. The habit of smoking closely down to the end of the cigar stump, or of holding a stump for long in the mouth, is distinctly injurious. The advice which many fathers give to their sons is "Don't smoke; but if you must smoke, then smoke a pipe." This advice may also be given to those of our readers who consider that they have reached thai stage when they are able to bear the expense entailed by indulgence in the smoking habit.