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 
