Smyrna times., 1888-11-28
TALKS ON TOBACCO DRUNKARDs.
l CheoO, I Smoke, I Snuff, I Plug.


duce great diversity in the quality OF
tobacco, and several varieties are rec
Ognized in commerce. Other species
are also cultivated, especially the N
rusticG and N. pGRicUtdtG, the former oil
which is said to have been the first in
trOduced into Europe, and to have
been cultivated by the aboriginees OF
this country, as it is naturaliZed near
the borders Of some of our small north
ern likes. The Indians of the Missouri
and Columbia rivers used the n. quad
riUGLUis of Pursh, and the n. frutjcOsd,
a native of China, was probably culti-
waited in Asia before the discovery OF
this country by Columbus.
" Nicotin," the active, poisonous
principle of tobacco, was discovered by
Vanquelin, who made most elaborate
analysis of it; and in its action on the
animal system it is one of the most
virulent poisons known. A single drop
of the solution was sufficient to kill a
dog, and small birds perished if they
approached a tube containing it.
Nicotin, contains a principle termed
tannin, and if it were not for its pres
ence, it being a cOunter-actOr of its poi
sOnOus effects the users of tobacco
would die like mice under the exhaust
ed receiver of an air pump, and yet
over 100000 chewers and smokers
are using it to-day.
What Is to be expected from the use
of such a nOxiOus poisonous weed, but
still greater increase of the diseases
which statistics show have increased
so alarmingly!
From the experiments of Sir Benja-
min Brodie and Mr.. Barrow in his
travels, speaks of the use made by the
HottentOts of this plant for the purpose
of destroying snakes. A HOttentot,
says he applied some of it from the short
end of his wooden tobacco pipe to the
mouth Of a snake while darting out his
tongue. The effect was instantaneous
as an electric shock with a convulsive
movement that was mOmentary. The
snake half untwisted itself and never
stirred more and the muscles were so
contracted that the animal felt hard and
rigid, as if dried in the sun.
The danger of tobacco, even in mod
Grafton, is its soothing effect upon the
mind, dispOsing to placid enjoyment
and mellowing every passion into re-
pose. It's effects, therefore, are in
ebriating and those who habitually in
dulge in it, may with propriety be
denOminated drunkards. In whatever
form it is used, it produces sickness
and stupOr, bewiiderment and stagger-
ing in those unaccustomed to its use
There is no form in which it can be
taken that is not decidedly injurious
and disgusting. The whole, from
snuffing to plugging, are at once so
utterly uncleanly and unnatural that
it is incredible in what manner they
ever insinuated themselves into civil
lied society.
The most innocent and at the same
time most disgusting way of using to.
baccO is plugging, which consist in in.
serting a short roll of the plant in the
nOstril and allowing it to remain there
so long as the person feels disposed
Fortunately the habit is as rare as it il
abOminable, and it is hoped, (somewhat
common in some parts of Great Brit
AIM that it will never become common
here. Tobacco vOtaries are not aware
valuable time is wasted, especially By
the smokers, and that devOtees of snuff
are not greatly behind in this respect
Many years ago Lord Stanhope made
some singular calculations. His Lord
ship says; Every professed inveter
ate, incurable snuf-taker, at moder
ate computation takes one pinch every
ten minutes. Every pinch, with the
agreeable ceremony of blowing anC
wiping the nose, and other incidental
circumstances, consume a minute anC
a half. One minute and a half out o.
every ten, allowing sixteen hours to q
snuff-taking day, amounts to two hours
and twenty minutes out of every nat.
ural day or one day out of ten. One
day out of every ten amounts to thir
ty-siX days and a half in a year
Hence, if we suppose that the practice
to be persisted in forty years, two en-.
tire years of the snuff-taker's life will
be dedicated to tickling his nose and
two more in blowing it. We may add
to Lord StanhOpe's calculation, the ex.
pense of snuff, snuff-bOxes, handker.
chiefs, &C., in which it will appear that
this luxury encrOaches as much on the
income of the snuff-taker as it does on
his time, and that by proper applica.
ton of the time a money thus lost tC
the public, a fund might be constituted
for the discharge of the national debt
But this is not the worst of snufing
for though moderate quantities taken
now and then, may do no harm, yet, in
the extent to which habitual snuffers
carry it, it is positively pernicious. Il
is believed Napoleon first owed his
death to the morbid state of his stom.
ach produced by excessive snuffing
The membrane which lines the nose
gets thickened, the alfactOry nerves
blunted and the sense of smell impair
ed. Nor is this all, for, by the strong
inspirations which are made when the
powder is drawn up, some of the latter
Is pretty sure to escape into the stOm.
ach. This organ is thence directly sub
jected to a powerful medicine which
not only acts as a narcotic, but pro
duces heartburn and every other sym.
tom of dyspepsia and indigestion in all
its worst forms.
If it were attended with no other in.
convenience the black loathsome dis.
charge from the nose and swelling and
rubicundity of this organ, with other
circumstances equally disagreeable
ought to deter every man from becom.
ing a snuffer.
The smoker, while engaged at hi,
occupation, is even a happier man than
the snuffer-"I am monarch of all ]
survey ~ An air of peculiar satisfac.
ton beams upon his countenance, and
as he pufIs forth volumes of fragrance
he seems to dwell in an atmosphere o.
contented happiness. His illusions
have not the elevated and magnificent
character of those brought on by opium
or wine. There is nothing of Raphael
or Michael Angelo in their composition
Nothing Of the Roman or Venitiou
sehools-nothing of Millions sublimity
of Paradise Lost" or Paradise Re.
gained" The tobacco users visions
stand in the same relation to those OF
opium or wine, as the Dutch pictures
to Ostade the Italian ones Of Pau
Veronese-as Washington Irving tc
Lord Byron-or as Izaak Walton tc
Froissart. But there is q something
equally delightful and in its way
equally perfect What is itP There
is an air Of delightful happiness about
about the smoker. He is a good fellow
he does not let his imagination rur
riot in the clouds,-he pufis forth, bu
restraints it to the lower sphere Of eartl
and meditates delightfully."- in this les.
elevated region. If his fancy be unus
! uallv brilliant or r,ox,hnt hooto1 y.