TOBACCO AFFECTS PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT
The true method for preventing the injury due to the excessive use of tobacco, is to educate the growing youths of our country in the knowledge that the highest intellectual capacity and the greatest physical development can be obtained only by total abstinence from tobacco in any form.
It is well known that tobacco impairs digestion, hinders growth of the body, weakens the mind, affects memory and leads to many diseases of the nervous system.
In. overdose it produces symptoms of faintness, nausea, vomiting, giddiness, dimness of vision, prostration, loss of power in arms and legs, trembling, cold, clammy perspiration, oppression in the region of the heart, convulsions, paralysis and death. The active principle given in a small dose has been known to destroy a man in three to five minutes; one drop will kill a dog in six minutes; small birds perish from the draught blown through a pipestem.
The numerous symptoms resulting from its use are worthy of attention. It cripples the functions of the brain, affects sight, hearing, taste, touch and smell, produces dizziness, vertigo, headace, palpitation, insomnia and makes drunkards because of nervous exhaustion.
It has caused insanity, epilepsy, hysteria, melancholia, obstinate forms of neuralgia, disease of the mouth, throat and lungs. It has caused cancer of the ]ip, dyspepsia, heart disease, loss of flesh, spermatorrhea, impotency, and Bright's disease.
T. F. Townsend, M.D.
(November Physical Culture)