Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1861-02-17
robacco---rhe popularity Of the weed.

TobaccO---The Popularity OF the Weed
The New York journal Of Commerce says an Eng
lishman who recently travelled several thousand
miles to shoot buffalo. has, on his return home,
gven his whole mind" to the task of critcising our
customs and its institutions. Among other extraOr-
binary things which the magnifying power of for
eign spectacles enabled him to discover, was the
fact that on our railroads the ladies frequently sit
immersed in five feet of tobacco juice. After max
ing due allowance for distorted topics, adds the
ornul of Commerce we shall probably find that the
railway cars, as well as many other places, do pre-
sent to the eye of foreigner indubiable evidence
that the weed is popular in this country. STILL we
| find that the other nations are glad to receive
large portion of cur product The value of our ex-
ports for IS47 was 81 100000 for 1852, s1O,OOOOOO
and for 1859, SCI, 900 900; of which Great Britain
received her due share. The ereasing figures
show, too, that the consumption offoregn countries
is increasing far beyond the growth of the popUla-
ton. While opium is used by 400 600 coo of people,
it is estimated that tobacco is used by twice that
number.
Every nation has its peculiar weakness which ap-
pears foolish and nexcusable to others. Tbs opium
to procure which the Asi4tic viii sacrifice his
/ fortune and health we condemn without qualihca-
ton and at the same time surrender ourselves as
slaves to an here pronounced by our cycopedias to
be "bitter acrId, and poisonous" 1t is cultivated
to q very large extent in this country. Tie census
Of 1850 gives total Of about 200 1000 900 pounds
1t is estimated that the value of tobacco consumed
here (neuding imported cigars) amount to s25,OOO-
OOO Of this the greater part is not eaten, as our
Englismeu intimates, but smoked. This habit is a
Al. &c ANA m
dians; and yet since the voyages of Columbus made
known the practice Europeans, it has become
so prevalent as to be considered brave polite and
wise' RALEIGH smoked to crafty the curiosity of
good Queen BEss," Old DR.. JOHNSON smoked from
more slesh motive. 1t is said, too, that the good
natured GoLDsNITH whitfield at his pipe ike a true
freshman ;Hthat the great MILTON, before retiring
soothed his nerves with the Tapors of tobacco; and
that the philosopic NEWTON was wreathed with
smoke while rejecting on the fall Of the apple.
But there are distinguished authorities on the
other side. HONEST BARTON, in his Anatomy o.
Melancholy" says: "A good vomit | confess;
virtuous herb if it be well qualified, opportunel.
taken. and incidentally used but as it IS commonl.
abused by most men, which take as tinkers do ale
it's plague, mischief, violent purger of goods
lands. health devilish tobacco, the ruin and over
| throw of body and soul" Lord BACON says "Tc
baceo smoking is secret delight, serving only {
steal away mems brains y and Lord PALNEBsToN
so assured of the thriftlessness of the habit that
saws to his constituents avoid the public house
as much as you can, but always steer clear OF tn
tobacco shop" JOIN QUINCY ADAMS asserts that tn
: abandonment of the use Of tobacco would ad
- five years to the average of human life" Punch
|. in the profundity of his wisdom, has discovers
q that sno other animal but man smokes =; althoug
ep the statement may need qualification, as pc
be son in England ;reported to have taught the pra
tice to his monkey.
= But what say the chemist and the medical mar
We are told that tobacco con sists principally Of
latile oil, volatile akali and an empyreumatic o
The first is the principal cause of the odOr, and wit
J taken internally produces giddiness, nausea al
"a vomiting The second is nicotine, and Is an acrl
aO burning, narcotic poison, of which single dr.
's' (et smokers and chewers stand aghast is suftce
al to kill dog its proportion is variable, but on
average seven pounds are found in every hundr
in mounds of dry leaf A thread saturated with {
oil and passed through the flesh Of animal, killed
in seven minutes; two drops placed on the tong
of cat proved fatal in fifteen minutes. That sir
lar effects may be produced by lthe plant, witho
N anv concentration of its power by the chemist,
uroved by the fact that the Indians formerly poison
their arrow heads with decoetion of tobacco, a
that soldiers III the United States army have secur
i. leave of absence from duty by wearing tobacco
est der their arms-in that way causing serious 81
IN toms of illness An Oxford student, whose EVEN
amusement had been pipe-cOloring, was even a1Ia'
ed with delirium tremens.
IF needed. the penalties inflicted by Nature "O'
prove efectual interdict 70 'ne use u '''-' "'
fascinating of all herbs.