The Literary echo, and Pawcatuck advertiser. [volume] (Westerly, R.I.) 1851-1854, 1851-10-02
From the Christian Watchman g. Reflector
Tobacco Consumers.

The use of tobacco is a serious and
a growing evil, may we not say growing
sin. That it is a sin, it seems to us, every
discriminating, candid and enlightened con-
scientious man, will confess That 1t
should not appear 50 to the poor, untutor-
ed Indian, or to the gross and ignorant IN
mate of the Irish cabin, we do not wonder
but we do wonder that an enlightened and
a cultivated Christian disciple, should be a
slave to the use Of tobacco, and not feel
that he is committing Il glicyous sin. And
this indecent and vile habit is indulgcd in
by those from whom the world should ex-
pect better things, who should be living
epistles known and read of all men. We
have smoking ministers, and chewing
deacons, studies perfumed with the odor
of the noxiouS weed, and sanctuaries be-
spattered and stained with its filthy cx-
traction.
1t is sin because it wastes money. And
the amount of money thus thrown away,
puffed into empty air, by those who pro-
tess to be the disciples of Christ, is incred-
ible. There are hundreds of members in
our churches, who, expend, at the lowest
rate, twenty dollars annually for that,
which not only is not bread, but poison, a
sum exceeding their benevolent contribu-
tions for every object whatever.
1t is sin because il Injuries health. No
man has right to jcopardize so valuable
gift as health !; and to destroy it is sui
eide. That tobacco Injuries the health, by
enervating the system and by weakening
the digestive organs, is settled beyond a
reasonable donbt But those who would
frame an excuse for their habit may deny
this. But what ails them; Why such
sallow countenances? Why such tremb-
ling hands Why so many complaints Of
dyspepsia? Why such nauseau? "But
this is not owing to my habit Of using to-
bacco. Should abstain from its use, |
should Immediately experience injurious
effects. And then my physician recon-
mends the use for this throat complaint,
and catarrhl affection" o fyl-de-rol
abjure this heathenish habit, and We war;
rant you good digestion, sound sleep, in
creased dimension, and relieved con-
science. For your conscience must
trouble you.
Reader, are you consumer Of the In
dian weed, and persist in denying its dele
terious effects upon your Just look at
its clements. C Nicotine is most deadly
poison, and is the essential principle of to-
bacco 1t was the poison recently used in
the horrible murder of wife's brother by
Count Bocarme, in Belgium. Orila, the
celebrated toxicolist, has lectured upon it,
and the Bocarme trial has given birth, also
to several medical dissertations on the
same subject. Virginia tobacco yields the
largest proportion Of nicotine from twenty
pounds were extracted four hundred
grammes of the poison; gramme is equal
to l5,444 grains Troy. The Maryland
leaf affords about one-third of that quanti-
ty. Nicotine is nearly as powerful and
rapid as prussic acid, with the animal eco
nOmy.
And yet men will persist in eating this
deadly poison, saying that they cannot dc
without it.
If tobacco chcwers and tobacco smokers
will persist in their obnoxions habit, they
should colonize, herd together, and have
territory, atmosphere, and all, especial.
to themselves. u