I06 TOBACCO AND ITS EFFECTS. 



heart and stomach, where I had the best of reason to sup- 

 pose that tobacco was the main cause of the trouble, all 

 bad effects disajDpearing when its use was discontinued. 

 Dyspepsia in young men is caused, in many instances, and 

 greatly aggravated in many more, simply by smoking to 

 excess." 



" I feel certain that abuse of tobacco, however employed, 

 may be classed among the causes of chronic disease — e. g. 

 severe forms of irritable dyspepsia, disturbed action of 

 the heart, and the like. Young gentlemen who are in the 

 habit of putting this enemy into their mouths do not be- 

 come aware of the danger sometimes until too late." 



^uestioti 8. " What is your opinion, founded on your 

 own experience, as to the effects of tobacco in producing 

 diseases of the brain and nervous system — e. g. conges- 

 tion, apoplexy, epilepsy, paralysis, nervousness, impo- 

 tence, &c. ? " 



Of the replies to this question, ninety per cent say that 

 the writers believe tobacco to be the cause of such dis- 

 eases in many instances. Six per cent give no answer. 



One thinks that he has met a few cases where such 

 diseases could be traced to the effects of tobacco. 



" During thirty-six years of medical practice I have had 

 unusual opportunity of seeing various forms of brain di- 

 sease ; have treated epilepsy, paralysis, congestion, apo- 

 plexy, nervousness and impotence, which I knew were 

 traceable to the use of tobacco, from the fact that when 

 the habit was given up the patients recovered. I have 

 frequently met with persons suffering under one or another 

 of these forms of disease, whom I knew to be smokers and 

 chewers, and in whom I beHeved the result to be due to 

 the tobacco-habit." 



