thoughts on Carsons's cause of death

[Guest guest]

When I heard that ny Carson died of emphysema, I assumed that he had

been a chain smoker til near the end (and by his own admittion he also

" drank too much " ). But what is of interest is that I read in today's WP

that he had given up smoking some years ago.

This is in keeping with my personal experience that sometimes the damage

done by smoking can not be undone (contrary to the popular notion). My

father gave up smoking before I was born because he was warned by doctors

that he would die if he didn't. In spite of that, I never remember him

being " normal " afa his throat and lungs. He was spitting up phlegm and

coughing for the rest of his life and often complained of chest pains. He

died at the age of 70 of a heart attack.