IS TOBACCO INJURIOUS?

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 182, 27 April 1908, Page 11

IS TOBACCO INJURIOUS?

AMERICAN UNIVERSITY INVE3TICAr TIONS. 1 '' ','AN EXPLODED THEORY," .: • ... I Dr.' - George L.;"Mcy)an, -physical director off Columbia University,. ~/E[.S.A. 1 lecpntly 'corapleteH tnq v us'gjof tobacco and- alcoliolic beverages ilpon ; ,f■ :i 637['now .'. most]?• -• freshmen,, who *-'■- i hay©-entered Colunibia hi tlic tv/o years. l -''Dr. -Mbvlan•'.(says the .' >New Yoik Evening Post")-has found 'that,the physical condition ■';'; > of:tho .is„.their weight, height, t'otailstrengthyt-is/ on tnq ■" v..' avenge'/- hotter, thaii that of the lion-smokers., ■■■'■' exteritvthis'.'Bupßnonty'i may. be ; explained .by the.fact that tho smokers wcio t's"! older— age beiiig/tweijty. ypars , V-^nar tenyrapnthsi'-ias.:againstnineteen years ; . ; and', eight-months Lor .tlie non-smokers. < '■ j. ,*Al)out 90 per..-cent.- 'of'.tfid .students eskm'oiVl ined=tfere' froshmeirm Columbia, Col lege; and "•■;"". K ; tbis;sfilioblsi of "miiKis,v6ngineermg, And ciiemis- • ' ; itry.;--Tliq remaining'. 10 -ptr...cent..:were.■"? v 'j. 5 J-, student's.]]']! the • law arid graduate - schools oi ■' tho/university. '; '.Out 68' . wen.'-. e , x ", • amined, !l : l] used alcoholic Wrages, or ! ' -, j nearly .26 : per cent. I .'of;thf>. total number. i';; Tho:. ; htimber who: answeml the ;qneStioi^#'s - "to the 'uso of tobacco Was. 633, ,of •.whom'.->Po. * : i.....answer^'."yes," 'ar[d>;47B "no. ( -lnis .rc- ; i !'. ;presents'a,proportion ofthree smokers out .or v ; 'ewry-ion in-tW fresliman class, j;; ■ y. ; --. Vi; ''.Great ;carc was: taliSi, ( In- tho;men;':'and tiio figu'reii'. said to..bo.exceedingly .accurate. , f DR MEYLAN'S CONCLUSIONS 1; i ■■' i'TteVtwo most. 'sigMwnt v'facts .broiigh.M *ouV'/l>y:« the.-..tcstsV-' according' to Br.;'-iuey)aii,>. V'• '• arpvtliat 'sraokihg/'does''.nbt thcMung : ' ;as ..'f / does'•it/.seemto have/any... eitccc,;uppu-;tiio, : ! ' liblglit' of tho ihdividual-jlfV.^/^l-^^ti^^' • "!. ; v ;Oii'V'thov Cpntm : ,was founa .tbat .in 'j: • thes6 .meiisuremeDtSjl as';Well;_as..,tho-' otiiG-rs, 1 }\ - tHo')smokers. qscellwri. v :.. It is out /. by: Dr. /that« by . c.jl- -- pacitWhe*'does*'not;'meah 'y.'hat_ callecl \ "wind.". inan\'is ! snoyt^or *S!*-• : v ;.: brcSth;as CbKro • wind jnrong !• ; ;';' : atmeicspb& to ' :,hak/ri'6tnihg to ;do .'witli ■ ',th^, ty ot - I ,v k lungs: . but,.\vith• -tiici' cSiiditipn >t)f tho. hcari, 1 : ' : wliich,'He''admiti'may,be aftectca by;tobacco. . ;; :./ ; found' that• tbeheight ot i •• fehe'smokers is.appro.simatcJy. stt. Tim., as .*. >■aigaiiist :5ft.;.7 ; ana a- fraction less, than halt anvjnch'-'for' ; the rion-sni&kcrs. • Tho averago •weight ?.,6f/tho .smbke^'.is; 15'1.81bs.,ortho others 1 f / ' -I, -The -inference 'drafthc.by Dr. Meylan, is that: the popular belief cotconung'the injurious effects ot tobacco is Ho v?j' ..'■:inakes : no'.atteinpt / •sniokirig ha-s ■;'itiYbad. ; 'eff6cts. ./Wous'jsystoin}- : :.'dqes 1 maihtain'' that if amdliihg L.may'bo: inciajg%l.''in average >-• .healtKy .viindividualj^'in.. pweration,': without f: : ,l appreciable' dAmagq^to^. ;conditior^ TEXT-BOOKS "TO THE CONTRARY ; ; . ''.Most : cphool.vtot-bfiOks on hygiene," ho ;;, .' shid,,:jin VoxplanajToh fyfi this theory, con-, f•' -'tiiiithe^assortJin; tliaV-nic'otine'.hotvonly. stunts tho' graHh;.• 'but -mluces the lung •capipity. !; "(^!•dq ! -nptitihink-tlicit ;there,ia evi- ' dence 'to .support', either of:'.these statements;; ' i- '- : very' littlfl ■; ' v aboiiti;tho.eff^t^;pf':tpto!^■/jlp6'n^tho'. : h''nn^n l . body: i ■. I' am one .of j.thoso who are inclined' to ~ 'classS'tobftcco'amoiigj;;,those Vpeciiliaj^ 'tb.-cpmih';}.ix-v ■/,difidiial3lv :; Spmevper'sPrisj'-:for^"instance,'; can-; V'-;. /■, iiot v eat; vbeing-ipoisphcd,- ■ tßough the majority; of • us-are'not so affected.! It ;is;'an old,:silyingl thatonp/man's ;food is v another Bian's -poisoiv.': ; ' : i''• it 'h.is-dlwaj's' beon'ra'surprise .to ■mo how ;pthat"'Bt.atemeiit that'.tobacco 'redices'.tho lung ;. i' capacitVlcrept into;the; text-books.' :' Even' the : 3^to™" r ®ay r . .but ;there'jt is,. and; ~ '• v-a. ha.vß swallowed .it.wliolo.', v. : /,that,;irb46nstarit]y' inacle'.about , tobacco.-.,< . ji- friend . Dr... Luther - Guilds .'pHysical , ; director ' iof . . Athletic" , ■''' League,'; tried;'to' traeb- 1 sonio of .these stSte- - r;mcnts ■ t-o their source not-.'long ago.; ; Ho oto&Sto:authors.of.-chiany..text-books-on.tho ; - mibjectj*.tiut; failedio/ : nnii them p'repiired! : >'; 'jWrfch;,sevidOTce -baclS' their. rbniarks.' -SlM't of the wcitei's had;tal;en.them on/hear- .• i . " ; 'sa^'.;-v : dr.' onthe.^authority"..of someother WTiter.' Personally, I;am inclined to be seep-, ;. tical, about much thatjis'said: about'.the dele-; tobacco ■ <jri.t-h6' ' human! body." i i -~