, 1859-12-01
THE TOBACCO QUESTION.
Interesting Statistics Of tue Use and
Abuse OF the Weed.


Abuse OF the Weed.
The Carlisle (Englaod) Etam.a.r reports at
great length lecture which the Dean Of Carlisle
delivered, the subject being tobacco-its intlu-
cnces, physical, moral aud religious. The large
hall Of the AthenBum WIS crowded.
The Dean, in the course Of bis lecture, furnish
ed the following curious statistics; In 1856,
thirty three millions Of pounds Of tobacco we're
consumed at au expense Of eight millions Of
money; five millions two hundred and twenty
thousand pounds Of which went in duty to Cor
crnment, to say nothing Of vast quantities
smuggted into the country. There IS = steady
increase upon this consumption, far exceeding
the cotemperaneous increase Of population. In
1891 the average MAS 20 OF. per head per
1858 to u o., or 1t least Mt the rate Of one
fourth incraass lnteH years. We hear Of 20 900
3hossheads of tobacco in the bonding house in
London at one time -Tl,err are twelve atty
brokers in London expressly devoted to tobacco
sales, 20 manufacturers, 1,5;o tobacco shops
engaged in the different branches Of the bust
ness, md no less than 25aa, ,04s tobacco shops in
the United Kingdom. And if we turn 70 the
Continent, the consumption aud expenditure
assume proportions perfectly. gigantic In
France much more is consumed in proportion
to the population than in England. The En-
peror clears 100, ,0oo 900 Of francs annually by
the Government monopoly. At St. Omar II 900
tons Of clay are used in making 45.o00, GOO Of
tobacco pipes, In the ctr Of Hamburg 10000
cigars are CONSUMED daily, although the popula-
tion is not much oyer one hundred and fifty
thousand: II, 900 persons, many OF them women
and children, are engaged in their manufacture.
15o,ooo.ooo cigars are supplied annuaiiy; .
iabels for 1he boxes Of cigars, 6c.; and the
iusiuc.s rcoresen.s cI.1J.vv1, III Denmark
theTanual ronsumntion reaches the enormous
average Of 70 ounces per head Of the whole
.onuletion. und in Belgium even nore-to
a hound per head. In America the
average il greatly higher, Il is calcu.
lated that fba entire world Of smokers
snuf].rx and chewers commune 1000 tons Of
tohacco nnnualIr. ar 4..s0 0Gp. .OuV Of pounds
.weirht-as much in tonnage a. The corn con
snTed l,r 10 0ssl. .O0U of Euglishmcu, and actu-
stjx At . ro.t sufficient to pay Tor all the bread
a ha1f of acres arc occupied in it. growth,
cb;sdr cultivated by slaye labor, the product
NJ W3;;ch at two pence per pound, would yield
so ~, hi sterling. The time would fail to
til of tbe yast amount Of smoking in Turkey
and Persia: in India all classes and both sexes
chew and smoke: in Burmah all ayes practice
;tNch;Idrrn of three years old a1d Of both
se,ex. fshinn equally contributes to the mapia :
and he sdroratr, al the habit boast that about
nne.fonrth of the human race are their clients,
NJ tbat there certainly are one hundred million
~ s-,otar.s Az NH these statictics perfec,.y
os.onnd;nS; y. IA mt hi. a wanton waste Of
rnnner nnon m idle custom. admitted by its
,~s-n,s.t aadrocates tn br nnly luxurr- seldom
h.nrt;c;si alwars dangerous. This duaucjal
,.;a~ ~ tbs ons.t,on ourhs to arrest our at-
tent;on Erery workinrman who consumes
nais -. nnn1a of ..sR.r- ..return." or
oh, :. one ere ner week or the 1erv moderate
,n.r4;tv ~ four nounds ptr annun. pa7s ont