Snuff and Cancer of the Ear

THE use of tobacco in its many forms, especially cigarettes, is steadily increasing, and its attendant dangers are currently being debated. Snuff, a finely pulverized tobacco preparation, although practically unknown now in many areas, has retained its popularity among the Midwestern populace. It is generally chewed or held as a quid in the oral vestibule between lip and alveolar ridge. The carcinogenic potential of tobacco derivatives has been well demonstrated on the skin of mice, but no such effects have been clearly shown in man. The following case illustrates an unusual site of snuff application — within the ear — . . .