The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1877-1885, 1882-08-23
The Weed That Everybody Burns

The Leipsic GMtenldub-, prominent
periodical of Germany, in a late issue
contains an interesting article on the his
tory of tobacco. 1t says: THE home of
tobacco is the New World. Before the
discovery OF America tobacco was not
known to the other grand divisions of
the earth. When Columbus landed at
the Island of Guana hani, on the 18th OF
October, 1902, the Spaniards with aston
ishment saw the natives blowing clouds
of smoke forth from their noses and
mouths. The Indians wrapped dry
herb in a corn leaf, ligh,cd one end of
the roll and imbibcd the smoke from the
other. Such roll was called by them
tabaco, while the herb itself was called
kohoba. They gave the name of tabaco
also to two pipes attached to funnel by
means of which they inhaled through
their noses the smoke of hoheba leaves
placed upon burning Goals. They used
the fresh leaves of the kohOJa plant for
healing wounds, and filled the tents in
which sick persons were lying with tobac-
co smoke to lessen their pains and cure
them. In Mexico, conquered In 1919,
the Spaniards found tobacco in general
use. and wherever they went they saw
tae people smoking it from reeds. mixing
rose-leaves and aromatic gums with the
dry herb. The Me1icans also chewed
and snufed tobacco. The Spaniards
room commenced to smoke themselves
They took tobacco seed home with them
To Spain, where the plant was originally
nised in gardens and used for medlci
purposes The fresh leaves or the juice
of the plant was used against gout, head
ache, toothache, and stomach ache. In
this respect the tobacco ;..ont soon bt :
came 30 famous that lruinncLt phJsi
clans declared it to be q universal remedy
for all diseases Of the human body.
In France tobacco became known by
Jean Nicot, who was French ambassador
at Lisbon, Portugal, in 1860, and after
him it was called herba N.cottana. An
older name OF it is pctuns, derived from =
Brazilian word. In France tobacco was
also first used as a medicine, particularly
in the shape of snuff. Even ladies snuff
ed there. The French clergy zealously
used snuff as preventive against lov e..
The wonderful herb now became known
among all civilized nations.
In 1865 an apothecary of Augsburg,
GERMANY, received dried tobacco leaves
from France as new drug. In the
course of the seventeenth century num-
ber of books on tobacco were published
in Switzerland and Germany. In Italy
too, the clergy became protectors Of the
sanative herb. Bishop Tornaboni s;n
the first seed of the plant from Paris t.
Florence. To Rome the seed was first
sent by Cardinal de Santa Croce (of the
Holy Cross, Papal nuncio at Lisbon, and
after him the plant was named the herb
of the holy cross. But at Rome tobacco
FIRST met opposition. Pope Urban TlII,
because laymen and clergymen were snuff
fing during Divine service, excommuni
Gated snuffers in 1924. In Spain At the
convent of San Jago de CompOstella. ia
nous for pilgrimages, five monks we're
immured alive in 1892 because they had
smok ed at the choir in the evening. Yet
Pope Benedict Kill, himself passion
ate snuffer, allowed the use of tobacco
again in 1924. Secular governments,
too. opposed the use Of tobacco. King
James |. of England wrote = lengthy es-
.sy ip Latin against it in 1903. The
University of Oxford held public dis
putation against the smoking of tobacco
10 1905. In France only druggists we're
permitted to sell tobacco if prescribed by
pbysicians. In Sweden, at the time of
Gustavus Adolphu.. smokers had to do
penitence in church. In Russia smokers
we're numerically whipped, while their
noses we're torn open in 1884. About the
same time Sultan Murad ~. went
around in Constantinople during the
night time, accompanied by execution
ers. who had to kill those he discovered
smoking. In Persia soldiers found smo
king we're killed, and, With smashed
hands and feet, thrown bc'o' { their tents.
Also among the Mohammr, ans the clergy
vere bitterly opposed to the use of TO-
bscco. In Germany, where the first
smoking Of tobacco was chronicied IN
1870. the authorities waeed war against
its use, after the thirty Years war, from
1918 10 l64s, was over. The city council