tions were not warranted by the facts observed. 
He points out the fact that most writers on the 
subject have overlooked the fact of the great 
discrepancy between the possible effects aris- 
ing from the administration of the amount of 
nicotine in a cigar and the actual effect pro- 
duced on the smoker of the cigar. He asks this 
pertinent question: “If a cigar contains 0.085 
grains nicotine, and if one-seventh of the nico- 
tine of the tobacco is present in the smoke and 
if but .004 grains is capable of causing death, 
why does the smoker not absorb enough nicotine 
to cause his demise?” 
As a result of his careful experiments, Bush 
found that although nicotine was present in all 
the samples of tobacco tested there was no 
nicotine whatever found in the smoke, except 
in the case of cigarettes and in this case only 
traces were found. The reason of this is given 
as due to the rapid burning of the cigarette 
which did not allow sufficient time for the com- 
plete decomposition of the nicotine. Pyridine 
was, however, found in the smoke of all tobacco 
burned. Pyridine is only one-twentieth as 
toxic as nicotine. Bush concluded, therefore, 
that pyridine and not nicotine is the toxic fac- 
tor in tobacco smoke. The same fact was stated 
several years ago by Rideal (Disinfection and 
Preservation of Food, London and New York, 
184 
