The Literary echo, and Pawcatuck advertiser. [volume] (Westerly, R.I.) 1851-1854, 1851-12-25
Tobacco, Imtempcrance, Tempe.
rNncc...NO. 3.

To the Editors of the Literary Echo -
In my last, l gave the testimony O
several eminent physicians relative to th,
deleterious effect of tobacco, upon tn,
human system. l am fully aware that
am rowing against wind and tide; but still
will row. The display of cigars viii cl
is made in almost every shop in the place
and in the mouths of SO many, old and
young, in our streets, plainly declares that
the evil which | would cure is deep seated
and that if some are convinced of it
-" 'Tis against their will"
And they suck the filthy poison still.
The darling habit of chewing and smoking
the sweet stuff, which is often favored
while curing, by being :" frequently
sprinklcd and mostened with stale wine. -
is not readily abandoned. Cockroachcs
arc said to give popular flavor to certain
alcoholic preparations, and why should not
filthy things do the same to to acco: The
king Of Denmark, who wrote treatise
against tobacco, observes that /" Merchants
often lay it in hog-houscs, that, becoming
impregnat,d with the volatile salts of the
excrements, it may be rendered brisker
and stronger" That which is raised at
the present day, however, is probably of
such superior quality as to answer with
merely the abundance of the p.rspira,ion
Which drops from the warm and flesly
negro, into it, while he is packing it.
But more about its ihfutn upon the
system. A clergyman who commenced
the use Of tobacco in youth, says. that
no ve'y injurious consequences were ex-
pcricnced, till he entered the ministry,
when his system began to feel the dreadful
effects. His voice, bis appetite, and his
strength failed, and he was sorely afflicted
with sickness at the stomach, Indigestion,
emaciation, melancholy, and prostration
of tn" "hole nervous system. All this l
attribute to the pcrnicious habit of chewing
and smoking tobacco" At length he
abandoned the quid and the pipe. His
voice, his appetite and strength were soon
restored; ard in little time, general
health was enjoyed.
Another clergyman writes to friend
as follows-"l thank God, and l thank
you for your advice to abandon smoking
my stre myth has doubled since relinquish-
ed this abominable practice"
A respectable gentleman in middle :
life, who commenced chewing tobacco at
the age of eighteen, was long afflicted with
depression OF spirits, great emaciation, and
the usual dy>peptic symptoms. All at
tcmpts to relieve him were fruitless, till
he was persuaded to dispense with his quid
Immediately his spirits revived, and he
soon regained his health" $
Edward G. Delevan, Esq, Secretary of y
the N. Y. State Temp. Soc., in letter to
Rev .. Fowler, says" The subject of
your Essay is one of immense importance
to the world, and to the Temperance ,
cause. The use of this vile weed (tobacco)
has been the medium of forming the appe- f
tite for strong drink, and ultimately de- a
siroying thousands of the most promising
youth of our country. You will hardly c
ever meet with an incorporate person y
sithout finding him addicted to the use of
tobacc'. The public only want light on
his subject to act" I
need not multiply extracts like the c
above. The cases mentioned in them, are m
Ike thousands of others, which exist in the