Smoking, or, no smoking? That's the question / hear the late Sir Benjamin C. Brodie ; with critical observations / by "Scrutator," [sic] ; and extracts from an occasional paper of the British Anti-Tobacco Society / by Dr. Copland.

  • Sir Benjamin Collins Brodie, 1st Baronet
Date:
[1861?]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Smoking, or, no smoking? That's the question / hear the late Sir Benjamin C. Brodie ; with critical observations / by "Scrutator," [sic] ; and extracts from an occasional paper of the British Anti-Tobacco Society / by Dr. Copland. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    Price One Penny. Second Edition. SMOKING, OR NO SMOKING? THAT’S THE QUESTION. HEAR THE LATE SIR BENJAMIN C. BRODIE, BART., Fell, and Mem. Counc. R.C.8., President of the Royal Society, Sfc., <$fc. WITH CRITICAL OBSERVATIONS, BY “SCRUTATOR,” AND EXTRACTS FROM AN OCCASIONAL PAPER OF THE BRITISH ANTI-TOBACCO SOCIETY, By Dr. COPLAND, F.R.C.P., F.R.S. Author of the te Dictionary of Practical Medicineetc. “ Having been applied to some time since to join in a petition to the House of Commons that they would appoint a committee to inquire into the effects produced by the prevailing habit of tobacco smoking, I declined to do so ; first, because it did not appear to me that such a committee would be very competent to discuss a question of this kind; and, secondly, because, even if they were so, I did not see that it would be possible for Parliament to follow up by any act of legislation the conclusions at which they might have arrived Nevertheless I am ready to admit that the subject is one of no trifling importance, and well worthy the serious consideration of any one who takes an interest in the present and future well-being of society. From these con¬ siderations it is that I now venture to address to you the following observations.” Sir Benjamin Brodie has done good service to the Anti-Tobacco cause, by the employment of his pen; and it is no inconsiderable source of satisfaction to trace this result to an effort to which he refers in the foregoing paragraph. But that does not lessen our regret, that the great weight of the learned Baronet’s influence could not be obtained for seeking the appointment of a Committee of the House of Commons, to receive the important medical testi¬ mony of the ravages of tobacco on the physical and mental constitutions of the young. Nor will Sir Benjamin be offended at our reminding him that pre¬ cedent, competency, and power have been established in the case of laudanum, which is strictly parallel to tobacco. In the recent investigations of a Committee of the House of Commons on food adulterations, laudanum was made a topic of inquiry, and, because of its injurious effects, a law was framed to prevent the sale of even a sufficient quantity for medical purposes without the written order of a qualified medical practitioner. Ergo, as it can be unequivocally testified, that the aggregate injury of smoking infinitely exceeds that which results from the use of laudanum, there is infinitely greater reason for the government to interfere, on behalf of the young, in the habit of smoking. But we must hear what Dr. Copland has to say about them.* * See page 7.