The Literary echo, and Pawcatuck advertiser. [volume] (Westerly, R.I.) 1851-1854, 1854-03-02
westerly, March 2, 1854.
Tobacco.


Nature and Effects" "Tobacco Dis
ease with Remedy for the Habit"
And 4" Evils of Tobacco, as they effect
Body, Mind, and Morals" These es-
says are written by three eminent pro-
fessional men of the county, and, in our
view, take philosophical and consistent
view Of the varied injurious effects re-
sulting from the use of this plant. Per-
haps We should say abuse of the plant
Instead of the use, for that the plant was
made for some useful purpose we pre-
sumo there can be little doubt; but
what that use is, we are unable to say,
though we candidly do not think it was
either for the purpose of smoking, chew
ing or snufing; perhaps it might have
been for the purpose of destroying ticks
on sheep, or vermin on cattle, though it
is necessary to exercise great caution in
using it for that purpose, or while it
proves destructive to the vcrmin, it will
also destroy the sheep or cattle.
The history of this plant furnishes
many interesting facts cages before
the discovery of America, the savages
in some parts Of this continent had
learned to seek scnsuous qualification in
chewing and smoking Tobacco and the
evidence Of the employment Of this mar
cotic, furnished blythe specimens of fpips-
making found among the Mongol tribes,
points to period long anterior to that
era. On his arrival at Cuba, in the
year 1892, Columbus beheld, for the
first time, the strange phenomenon of a
man drawing Tobacco-smoke into his
mouth through burning cigar. Her.
nandez de Toledo soon after introduced
the plant into Spain and Portugal
John Nicot, after whom the plant has
been named, sent the seeds to France
about the year 1860. Sir Francis
Drake, on returning to England with
the Virgiuian colonists in 1886, intro
duced there the use of the article and
about the year 1889, the Cardinal Santa
Crocc conveyed the weed from
France to Italy. From these points il
spread rapidly over almost the whole o
the Inhabited portions of she globe.
" But q habit so intrinsicaly dis
gusting, and so self-evidently inimical tt
individual health and social decency
did not overrun the land and sensualiz
the people without struggle. As wit
its twin-fend of evil, alcohol, its use wa
at first opposed, then tolerated, mex
embraced, and finally culogized Dr
Paris remarks: 1T has been successivel
opposed and commended by physicians
condemned and eulogized by priests an
kings; and prescribed and protected b
governments.
skiing James the First of England
and bis successor Charles, prohibited i
use, under severe penalties. Jane
wrote a book, the Counterblaste to II
bacco,' in which he declared that smol
ing is q custom loathcsome to the ey
hateful to the nose, harmful to the brai
dangerous to the lungs, and, in Il
black, sinking fumes thereof, neare
resembling the horrible stygian smol
Of the pit that is bottomless.'
"'Quaint old Burton expressed hir
self in the following strain more trut
ful than elegant, perhaps-in relate
to the common use Of tobacco, which
termed its common abuse: 1T is
plague, mischief, violent purger
goods, land, and health hellish, dew
ish, damned Tobacco, the ruin and ovc
throw Of body and soul Queen Eli'
beth published an edict against its u
In 1893, Shah Abbas intcrdicted
use in Persia by penal statutes.
1924, Urban VIII. accommodated
spuff.takers who defled St. Pete
Church by taking pinch within itswa
In 1863, q severe punishment was I
creed against all who smoked Toba'
in the canton Of APpcnscl In Russ