One head of a public school said he could always tell when a boy
commenced to use tobacco by the record of his recitations. Professor
Oliver, of the Annapolis Academy, said he could indicate the boy who
used tobacco by his absolute inability to draw a clean, straight line.
The deleterious effects of tobacco have become so clearly apparent
that we find its sale to minors is prohibited in France, Germany, and
various sections of this country. It is somewhat a question if, at the
present time, the race is not doing itself more injury by its use of
tobacco than it is with alcohol, because of its more universal use,
particularly by youth, and because of the respectability of the habit,
which comes of its use by a certain intelligent part of the race,
including teachers of morals and physics, and even temperance
reformers. There is a widespread sentiment in existence that it is not
a respectable thing to be even partly paralyzed by alcohol, but how
few there are who consider narcosis as in any way connected with the
use of tobacco. Its effect is more diffused and masked, and is not so
acutely serious in individual cases, but through its interference with
vital activity, tobacco is probably more generally injurious to the
race than alcohol.
The editorial fiat of "too long" prevents a full exposition of the
subject, but, in closing, let me say I hear millions of tobacco users
ask, "Why, then, was this plant given to man, if its general effects
are so decidedly evil?" The question presupposes design in creation.
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