COMMUNICATIONS AND EXTRACTS. 87 



interesting to listen to ; but the end of that man is not 

 yet come. 



" In the same way, tobacco is a stimulus to the gene- 

 rative system ; but the stimulating effect is much earlier 

 followed by its depressing action ; consequently it haa 

 long been known, when used immoderately, to extinguish 

 the sexual appetite, and annihilate the reproductive fa- 

 culty. It is a prolific source of spermatorrhoea. During 

 one week lately, I was consulted by three young men 

 suffering from seminal weakness, in all of whom I could 

 trace this drain to the relaxing, enervating effect of 

 smoking. Happy would it be for them if the abandon- 

 ment of the vice would at once restore them to health ; 

 but no ! the evil remains, though the cause is removed 

 — I do not mean remains permanently, because all such 

 cases are ultimately, though sometimes slowly, curable. 

 These three cases are merely a few out of many I have 

 seen of late years. 



" I have been asked to produce facU in proof of the 

 deleterious effects of tobacco, and facts in abundance 

 shall be forthcoming when I have had a record kept of 

 its effects in my hospital cases ) but the facts which I 

 have now by me being private cases, contain details the 

 relation of which would involve a breach of confidence 

 which nothing would justify. No man likes to be held 

 up as a victim of tobacco smoke, though I could name 

 many whose health has been decidedly injured by it. I 

 have seen many cases of amaurosis, both in the incipient 

 and advanced stage, caused by smoking. 



'■^ I know a valued servant, in a family where I attend, 

 whose memory was failing him, his face getting yellow; 



