p. 11 | Carbon Monoxid in Tobacco Smoke

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Sep 10, 1908

Carbon Monoxid in Tobacco Smoke

THE latest scientific word upon tobacco comes from the London Lancet. It is that tobacco smoke has been found to contain in large proportions the poisonous gas, carbon monoxid. The Lancet says that the fumes of an ounce of tobacco in cigarettes contains from one to four pints of this gas, while the same weight of tobacco smoked in a pipe gives forth two and a quarter to five pints. Of the toxicity of carbon monoxid no doubt exists. It is the chief constituent of illuminating gas, and is very harmful even in small quantities, and in large quantities it leads to death by asphyxiation. The presence of this gas in tobacco smoke no doubt accounts for the dizziness, shortness of breath, and heart weakness experienced by heavy smokers. It shows, too, the great danger of inhaling the smoke, which is a common habit among the users of cigarettes. The reported presence of this dangerous gas should be a warning to husbands and fathers not to poison the air of their households with tobacco smoke, and so injure the health of their wives and innocent children.—The Union Signal.