The “Canone Inverso”: when tobacco was not so bad. A Look Back at the Primordial Debate on the tobacco effects in the Occupational Medicine

Main Article Content

Silvia Marinozzi
Silvia Iorio
Marta Licata
Matteo Gulino

Keywords

Tobacco – Occupational Medicine – Public Health

Abstract

Aim: The article provides an overview on the beginning and evolutions of medical observations on tobacco induced diseases between Eighteenth and Nineteenth century. Methods: By searching for historical medical literature, first studies on tobacco-induced diseases focused on production risks rather than on adverse effects that the use of tobacco has for the human health. Results: The approach induced first eighteenth-century authors to define this substance as a non-pathogenic and, consequently, not to consider tobacco factories dangerous for health workers. In those years, tobacco was employed in therapy as a stimulant treatment and it was considered harmless and even healthy and preventive of several acute diseases. Conclusions: Authors will show that studies on pathogenic effects of smoking will only start around late nineteenth century, when the idea of the healthiness of tobacco industry was already supported.


 

Abstract 331 | PDF Downloads 124