“It impairs the functions of the brain, clouds the understanding, and enfeebles the memory.”—_Dr. Stevens._ “In whatever way it is used, tobacco is a narcotic and a poison. Its injurious effects are due to its active principle called ‘nicotine,’ which is of itself a narcotic poison. The extent to which the body may be injured by tobacco depends upon its moderate or excessive use. Even in moderate use it is hurtful to young persons, and by no means free from harm to adults. It produces an artificial exhaustion, as it were, of the nerve-centers. It certainly does no good, even when used in moderation. Tobacco produces functional derangement of the nervous system, palpitation of the heart, certain forms of dyspepsia, and more or less irritation of the throat and lungs. Sometimes after long smoking, a sudden sensation of dizziness, with a momentary loss of consciousness is experienced. At other times, if walking, there is a sudden sensation of falling forward, or as if the feet were touching cotton-wool. While the stomach is empty, protracted smoking will often produce a feeling of nausea, accompanied with a headache. The external application of tobacco to chafed surfaces, and even to the healthy skin, will occasion severe, and sometimes fatal results. A tea made of tobacco and applied to the skin has caused death in three hours. A tobacco enema has resulted fatally within a few minutes. The excessive smoking of tobacco has been known to produce violent and fatal effects. Nicotine is one of the most rapidly fatal poisons known. It rivals prussic acid in this respect. It takes about one minute for a single drop of nicotine to kill a fullgrown cat. A single drop has killed a rabbit in three minutes. The old tobacco-user is often cross, irritable and liable to outbursts of passion. The memory is also quite often impaired for the same reason. The narcotic principle, the deadly nicotine, has become soaked into the delicate nerve-pulp, retarding its nutrition. The nerve-centers are no longer able to hoard up their usual amount of vital energy.”—_Young Folk’s Physiology._