The very first issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association contained the following abstract of a paper published originally in the French Revue d'Hygiene of March 20, 1883 on the evil effects of tobacco smoking in children.
Dr. G. Decaisne, in a paper read before the Paris Société de Médicine Publique, gives observations upon thirty-eight children, between nine and fifteen years of age, where decided effects [due to smoking] were produced in twenty-seven.
Twenty-two had disturbances of the circulation, bruit de souffle in the carotids, palpitation of the heart, difficulty in digestion, indolent intelligence and a decided taste for strong drinks.
Thirteen had an intermittent pulse.
Eight showed a notable diminution of blood corpuscles.
Twelve had frequent attacks of nosebleed.
Ten were restless in their sleep with nightmares.
Two showed slight ulcerations of the buccal membrane, which disappeared promptly on their giving up smoking for a few days.
In one case pulmonary phthisis seemed to have resulted from a profound alteration of the blood due to the long continued use of tobacco.
In eleven children who gave up smoking entirely, with six these symptoms disappeared in less than six months; three still suffered in a minor degree at the end of a year.
He concludes, as the result of his observations collected through twenty years, that the pernicious effects of smoking upon children are incontestable. That it produces intermittence of the pulse, alteration of the blood, and the principal symptoms of chloroanemia, pallor of the countenance, emaciation, bruit de souffle in the carotids, palpitation of the heart, diminution of the normal quantity of the blood corpuscles, and difficulties of digestion. That the mental faculties become sluggish, with a fondness for strong drinks. That the ordinary treatment for chloroanemia produces no effect while the habit continues, and, finally, that with those children who are without organic lesion, all these disorders disappear promptly and without leaving any traces behind, when the habit is discontinued.
Could French tobacco of the 1880's have been all that potent, or was Doctor Decaisne an alarmist?
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