THE Wairarapa Age MORNING DAILY. FRIDAY, APRIL 8, 1910. IS SMOKING INJURIOUS?

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 10013, 8 April 1910, Page 4

THE Wairarapa Age MORNING DAILY. FRIDAY, APRIL 8, 1910. IS SMOKING INJURIOUS?

| The recent issue by several distiri- ! guished commanding officers of special orders designed to restrict cigarette smoking amongst the rank and file of the British Array, under their control once more calls attention t f) debated of the eftects of tobacco on x the human system. This question is, of course, a very important one, concerning as it does a habit 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 cne.j of our most popular pleasures sup- -j ported by the results one sees- in everyciay 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 be fore 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 who possesses a special susceptibility to its effects. In persons who havecome to exceed the limits of moderation, which, of course, vary for different individuals, the warning that they are smtiking too mucti usually comes in the same way as to those who are particularly susceptible. That is to say, attacks of giddiness, forgetfulness, discomfort or plin over the region of the heart, with an occasional fluttering sensation in that important orgair, should at once warn the smoker that he must begin to cut down tbis 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, for in some cases of prolonged tobacco-poisoning, dis--1 ease (atrophy) of the nerve of sight (tho optic nerve), has been known to occur. Fortunately such cases are rarei, and only as a rule : occur in those who t have neglected previous warning signs. The physician is often asked, which 13 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 asia general rule that the pipe is the!least harmful, owing to the fact that condensation occurs in the stem, arid thus prevents a good proportion :of the injurious byproducts from reaching the mouth. The cigarette probably comes next, as. being freely; to the air, very complete combustion occurs in it, which prevents much moisture reaching the mouth,; and at the sanae 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 excellent medium through which moisture laden with nicotine and other products can get into the mouth; and as a matter of practical observation one finds that excessive smoking is the most likely of the three forms to injure health. The habit Df smoking closely down to the. end of the cigar stump, or of bolding.a stump for long in the mouth, is distinctly injurious.