The Union and journal. [volume] (Biddeford, Me.) 1858-1882, 1860-09-21
Alphonso Karr on Tobacco.

[So few of our readers have probably met
with this authors "Journey around my
Garden" that, although it has been before
the public two or three years, we feel at lib
erty to offer below the substance of q chap
ter on the introduction of tobacco, translat-
cd and condensed for the Country Gentleman
from q recent Paris edition of the book.
1t is a family of poisonous plants in which
one finds henJdne, the daturd strdmonium and
tobacco.
Here is n tobacco plant-as beautiful a
plant as one could sce-six feet in height,
and from the bosom of its broad leaves of n
fine green, throwing out punches OF flowers,
roso-colorcd, and graceful and elegant in form.
For a long time tobacco flourished solita.
ry and unknown in some corners OF America.
The savagcs to whom wo gave brandy, gave
us in return tobacco. It is by this amiable
interchange of poisons that the relations
were begun between the old world and the
new.
The first who thought fit to put powdered
tobacco into their noses were attacked with
James the First Of England wrote his book
called Miso-eapnos, against those who made
use Of tobacco. Afew years fatw Pope Gr-
ban VIII. communicated persons who took
il in church. The Empress Elizabeth impos-
cd the penalty of communication upon
those who, during divine service, should stuh
their noses with this black powder, and M.
thorizcd the bcadles to confscatc snuff boxes
to their own benefit. Amunt Nv. prohibit
ed its use under tho penalty Of having the
nose cut of.
No useful plant could have withstood such
attacks.
II before this invention, any one had said,
g. Let us seek the means of drawing into the
Golfers of the State voluntary impost OF
several millions per year, by selling some.
thing to the people which everybody uscs
and which no one can dispense with. There
is in America plant essentially poisonous
if you express from its leaves an empyrcu-
matte oil, single drop will destroy an ami
nal in horrid convulsions. Let us offer this
plant for sale cut up into morsels or reduced
into powder; wc will sell it very dear and
well tell people to snuff the powder up their
noses"
you will force them to do this by law
by no means-I said 1t should be vol.
untary impost. What is cut up, We will
tell them to breathe and swallow little OF
the smoke Of it,
But they will dep
.Oh, no they will be little pale, have
pains in the stomach, vcrtigocs, sometimes
colics, spittings OF blood, and distress in the
chest, that's all Beside you know the old
saying, habit is u second nature; but,more
than that, man is like tho knife Of which the
blade had been changed three times in sue.
cession, and the handle twice-there is no
longer any nature left in man, only the hab-
its. People moreover will become like king
Mithrdates, habituated in taking poison.
The first time one smokes he may suffer from
Mains ut the heart, nausea, vertigo collie,
cold sweats and the like, but by and by he
will be so accustomed to II Us only to meet
with these troubles now and then, rs, for in
stance, when the tobacco is bad, or when 1t
is too strong, or when he is not feeling very
we'll, or in five or six other cases. Those
who take 1t in powder will specze, will feel
a little III, will lose the power Of smell, and
Will eStauilsh III tho hoso Aihu VI PViPV'"
al blister"
'Ah but suppose its smell isycry sweet?
mo, on the contrary, itsmells yilely. But,
us said. we will sell Il dear, and keep the
monopoly Of it in our own hands.
why my good friend,' one would have
replied to the person thus speaking, nobody
will dispute with YOU the privilege OF dis
posing OF commodity which will have M
purchasers. There would be better chance
to open shop and put over the door,
sKICKS FOR SALE HERE