Salt Lake Tribune | 1914-07-05 | Page 40 | Cigarettes Least Harmful to Eyes

Cigarettes Least Harmful to Eyes A SERIOUS affection of the optic nerves, called ambylopla, is the latest disease for which smoking and chewing are responsible. respon-sible. Oddly enough, the disease is more frequent fre-quent among pipe and cigar smokers and chew-ers chew-ers than among cigarette smokers. The latter escape more easily because the paper wrapping prevents poisons being absorbed through the mucous membrane of the lips, and also because in a cigarette the tobacco's combustion is rapid and aimost complete. The disease is rarely found in men under thirty-five years of age. As it is most prevalent among men of small incomes, it is suspected that the cheaper grades of tobacco are more liable to cause the disease. The first, symptoms are often irritability, in- j somnia, general weakness and indigestion. Then j comes impairment of vision; the patient seems ! to 'be looking through a fog and can see rela- ! tively better In a subdued light and when the ; pupils are dilated. There is also color blindness i for red and green, but unless tue sufferer's oc- j cupation is such as demands careful differentia- ! tion of colors, this is usually revealed only by j an oculist's examination. J The chances of curing tobacco amibylopia are j excellent, even in cases of long standing. A re- j lapse is almost unknown, even when the pa- S tient returns to the use of tobacco in large quan- tities. Strychnine, taken under competent med- j ical advice, is the best remedy to combat the j trouble.