nicotine by a large proportion of the male 

 population should not be accompanied by more 

 obvious results in the way of serious injury to 

 the cardiac muscle than appears to be the case. 



Dr. A. Marvin of the Department of Pharma- 

 cology, Vermont University, made numerous ex- 

 periments on the effects produced by tobacco. 

 In the cases of the respiratory system, he states 

 that in rapid smoking the respiratory rate is 

 increased, due more to the effort than to the 

 drug. In deliberate smoking there is very little 

 effect. In the digestive system the effects pro- 

 duced were, increased flow of saliva and stimula- 

 tion of the mucous membrane of the stomach 

 and intestines. Marvin did not find any import- 

 ant symptoms of systemic irregularities except 

 where there was excessive use of tobacco. He 

 says : "Tobacco produces, when used to excess, 

 symptoms in a very small per cent and often it 

 is only one factor in producing the conditions 

 observed." A very cautiously expressed and 

 noncommittal opinion. 



It is to be remembered that of the percentage 

 of nicotine in tobacco smoke only a small por- 

 tion is drawn into the smoker's system. The 

 greater part passes off again in the smoke 

 passed out; also that the products of combus- 

 tion of tobacco include acqueous solution as 



190 



