Tobacco Leaves: Being a Book of Facts for SmokersBrennan, William Augustine
HistoryChristian
Tobacco Leaves: Being a Book of Facts for Smokers
Brennan, William Augustine
Tobacco
Thirdly, there is the widespread error of ascribing the evils of the
_abuses_ of tobacco to the _use_ of tobacco. This matter of the _use_ and
_abuse_ of tobacco cannot be put too clearly. Most medical investigators
have based their results clearly on the _excessive_ use of tobacco. It is
a very rare thing to find a medical investigator drawing attention to any
harmful results following the moderate use of tobacco, and it appears a
just statement to make that the majority of men use tobacco in moderation.
It appears to be true that excessive smoking is harmful and is capable of
producing deleterious effects on the respiratory and nervous systems in
man, but it has never been scientifically proved that the moderate use of
tobacco has any particularly harmful effects. Moreover, it is well-known
to the medical profession and so stated constantly that in many cases
where the use of tobacco has produced bad effects on the eye, nerves,
etc., its use is contra-indicated, owing to the condition of the subject
due to other causes and that such results would not occur in a normally
healthy subject. Therefore, because tobacco when used excessively or when
used by persons who are not constitutionally fitted for it, produces bad
effects, it is not logical to argue, as many opponents of tobacco smoking
do, that the use of tobacco is universally harmful.
Fourthly, the conclusions arrived at by some investigators, are based on
experiments made on animals, and it appears quite open to criticism, and
is in fact disproved by common experience, that such results will follow
when applied to man. Hinging on this is the question of immunity and
toleration. The human system will easily after use tolerate effects which
at first it rebels against. This may easily be seen in muscular and other
efforts. Let a man who is constantly leading a sedentary life suddenly
walk 10 miles. The result is almost prostration and he will not recover
from it for a considerable time. Let him, however, commence by walking a
mile or two and gradually at each walk increase the distance, and in a
short while he will be able to walk 10 miles without feeling any fatigue.
Similarly running or other rapid exercise to a person not used to it will
produce such rapid disturbances in the respiration and circulation as even
to be fatal, while the seasoned athlete may perform such feats without the
least ill effects.
To take animals or persons who have never before used tobacco and to argue
or conclude that the effects of tobacco smoke on them are the effects of
tobacco on smokers generally is absurd. Yet such experimental results are
very often made the basis of denunciation of tobacco smoking.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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