Thibodaux minerva. [volume] (Thibodaux, La.) 18??-1858, 1855-07-21

There is no plant whose history shows SO many
vicissitudes as that of the Tobacco, (Nicotiant
tobacum.) Imported from America soon after
the discovery Of that continent, it was received
into the old world with species of enthusiasm
1t was not long, however, before some of the
evils and inconvenience involved in the use Of
it began to appear, and a host of enemies were
raised up against it. Theologists pronounced il
an invention of Satan, which destroyed the
efficacy Of fasting. Councils forbade it to all
ecclesiastics under their control. Popes Urban
VIII and Innocent XII punished the use of j,
with communication Sultan Amurath ~
with the most cruel kind of death; Shah Abbas
ii with penalties almost as severe; Michael
Feodorovitch Tourieff offered bastinado for
the first offense, cutting off the nose for the
second, and the head for the third offense
Prussia and Denmark simply prohibited and
James of England wrote against it. Finding
however that no penalties however severe,
could check the indulgence in a luxury SO
highly appreciated. Sovereigns and their Gov
ernments found it much more advantageous to
turn it into source of revenue; and the Guilt
walton and manufacture of tobacco was gradu-
ally subjected almost everywhere to fiscal regu-
lations or monopolies. Tobacco was in such
general use in America when first discovered,
and is there so widely spread, that it is difficult
to come to any conclusion as to what precise
part of that vast continent is its native country
some portion of the Mexican empire
AS to the precise dates of its introduction
into Europe, it has been already stated that it
followed closely upon the discovery of America.
The Spaniards, under Columbus, had scarcely
landed in Cuba in 1892, when they began to
smoke cigars; but they could only appreciate
its Injuries when, in 1913, Fernando Cortez
I'D <ho <bo
was found growing in great abundance. Her
nandez, the naturalist, was, it is believed, the
first who brought it into Spain from Mexico, in
1889. 1t was introduced into Portugal from
Florida by one Flamingo, and into France by
Father Andre Thevet, or by some friend of his,
although the more common opinion is, that the
first seeds received there were those sent about
the year 1860 to Queen Catherine Of Medcis,
by Jean Nicol, French Ambassador in Portugal.
1t was probably raised also in England few
years later, but received no notice till its we'll
known introduction by Sir Francis Drake, from
Virginia, in 1886. In Tuscany it was first cul-
tivated under Cosmo de Medici, who died in
1874, having been originally raised by Bishop
Alfonso Tornabuoni from seeds received from
his nephew, Monsignor Nicola Tornabuoni.
Next to salt, tobacco is the most generally
consumed of all productions. The annual con-
sumption here is on an average 1886 ounces, or
more than pound weight to every
man, woman aad child throughout the United
Moreover, this consumption is
greatly on the increase. Between the years
1921 and 1881 the increase was at the rate of
about one ounce per head during the next ten
years it was somewhat less than an ounce
but from 1912 to 1851 it was three ounces;
making IN increase Of nearly A per cent in
proportion to the population within the last
thirty years. In Denmark, exclusive of the
Duchies, the average consumption in 1851 was
nearly 10 ounces per head. But this is nothing
TO what is used in the warm countries. If the
of the earth be taken at one thousand
millions, and the consumption reckoned as
equal to that Of Denmark, or 70 ounces per
head, the produce of the whole world will
amount to nearly two millions of tons Il $685.
1857 year. The value of the quantity thus
at two pence pound, amounts to
about sc, DOC, 600 pounds sterling.