Evening Republican, Volume 14, Number 184, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 4 August 1910 — Odd News From Big Cities [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Odd News From Big Cities

Stories of Strange Happenings in the Metropolitan Towns

Many Baltimore Women Start Smoking

BALTIMORE, Md.—That there is a large and ever-increasing number of women smokers in Baltimore was the opinion expressed by several prominent physicians and women themselves. Moßt of the physicians were unhesitating in their disapproval of the habit Dr. William H. Pearce said: “I consider it bad for anyone to smoke, but it is worse for women than for men. It lowers the moral tone eventually and. has absolutely nothing to recommend It in any way." When asked if many of his women patients were smokers he declared that he did not know. “It’fc not the kind of habit to demand treatment,” he said, “and as a matter of fact I know positively of only two of my women patients who make, a practise of smoking.” The greater number of women smokers in Baltimore are to be found among the “fashionables”—the society set, and with them the cigarette habit is said to be general. At some entertainments given only for women the entire party will take cigarettes as naturally as their husbands and brothers would do. They have their own cigarette cases and match boxes, and their own favorite brands, and, while not flaunting the habit in the faces of a conservative public,' “make- no

bones” of the matter and readily admit that they smoke. Another set about town among whom smoking Is indulged in freely includes the artistic and musical coteries. Among them there is always a more or less foreign element and Continental ideas generally find favor. Several well-known women physicians were asked about their observations on the subject and, with one accord, they replied that the habit was general among society women only. “It fs a conspicuous fact,” said one, “that few women students of colleges or universities smoke. I have neveij known of a woman teacher who did.”! Another woman physician said she did not consider it had ever been com clusively proved that smoking in mod-* eration was harmful, but that she thought both men and women were none the better for it. A well-known suffragist was asked whether a desire to vote on a woman’s part went with the habit of cigarette smoking. She was Indignant apd declared “very few Baltimore suffragists Bmoke, and, anyhow, those who do did it before they became suffragists.” Among clubwomen it Is almost unknown, and in explanation of this they say they have too much to do and think about, and it is only idle women who learn to smoke. A well-known physician living on Charles street said that while smoking might not hurt the woman, he considered it a horrid habit and no woman was “kissable” who smoked. He was certain that he would not permit any of his family to Indulge in it for a minute. <