The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-12-26
DEATH FOR THE SMOKERS
USE OF TOBACCO AT ONE TINE A CAP
ITAL OFFENsE IN TURKEY.
House of Commons Attempted to BAN
ed Its Common Use In the Churches.
London Evening STANDARD.

LONDON evening StduudTu.
There is an herbe," says an old writer,
which is sowed apart by itself and is
called by the inhabitants vppowoc. In the
West Indies it hath divers names, accord
ing to the several places and countries
where it groweth and is used The Span
iard5 call it tobacco. The leaves thereof be-
ing dried and brought to powder they use
to take the fume or smoke thereof by suck
ing it through pipes, made of clay, into
their stomachs and head. This vppowoc is of
so precious estimation amongst them that
they think their gods are marvelously de-
lighted herewith, wherefore sometimes
they make hallowed fire and cast some of
the powder thereon for a sacrifice. The
habit of smoking was first noticed by the
crew of Columbus in November, 1892, who
thought the Indians were pertaining them
selves. The smoke was inhaled through the
nostrils by means of hollow forked cane
about span long. This primitive pipe was
like in shape; the two forked ends were
placed in the nostrils and the other end
over a heap of the smoldering powder, and
then the smoke was drawn up into the
nose. This pipe was called 'tobago.'
On his homeWard voyage Columbus dis
covered an island Y shaped like the Indian
pipe, and he therefore called it by the same
name-Tobago. From this island the herb
was called tobacco" Thus the word to-
bacco is not the name of the herb-which
was called cohiba, petun and yoli in differ
ent parts of America-but of the first pipe.
Though We'll known to Europeans visiting
America, tobacco was not brought into
Europe until late in the sixteenth century.
A Spanish doctor, Hernandez, is said to
have brought the first tobacco into Europe.
Jean Moot, who has left his name behind
in nicotine" sent some tobacco in 1853 to
the grand prieur of France. He described
1t as "a herb of peculiarly pleasant taste,
good incidentally in feverS and other dis
eases" 1t was, in fact, as medicine that
tobacco was introduced into Europe, and
for many years it remained in the pharma-
cOpOeia. For long time the fragrant weed
had no settled name; 1t was called by
score of different titles, the most common
being nicotina. Ultimately the world re-
turned to tobacco" the name by which
Hernandez called it on introducing 1T in
Europe, and, with trit1ing variations, this
is the name by which 1t is universally
known.
Tradition asserts that Sir Walter Raleigh
was the first to smoke tobacco in England
This honor is also claimed for several other
gentlemen, but it is a point impossible to
be settled. Captains Price and Koet We're
however, the first to smoke tobacco public
ly in London. They used ''segars, or twist
ed leaves, and many people assembled to see
them smoke or drink tobacco, as 1t was
called at that time Pipes were not invented
in those days. AT first, they were made or
silver, and the poorer classes, unable to buy
these used a walnut shell for the bowl OF
the pipe and q straw to suck up the smoke.
This primitive pipe was passed from man to
man, round the table in taverns, where
smoking was chiefly INDUCED in. Smoking
leapt into popular favor, and the habit was
practced everywhere, churches not ex-
cepted. Urban, VIII issued a bill excom-
churches, and Elizabeth thought proper to
add to this penalty Of excommunication
against those who filled their nostrils with
snuff during divine service, and ordered the
beadles to confiscate their snuff boxes.
Later another pope accommodated all VINO
! took snuff or tobacco in St. Peter s. at
| lowed the example of the European Catho-
lies and forbade smoking in church, as the
clicking of iints and steel to light the pipes,
and the clouds of smoke In church"
Hence law was made enacting that any
| person or persons that shall be found snok-
| ing of tobacco on the Lords day. going to
from the meetings within two miles
of the meeting house shall pay -, u
| pence for every such default" Under this
| law five men were fined for smoking OF
| tobacco at the end of Yarmouth (MasSa-
| chusetts) meeting house on the Lords day.
Like everything else, tobacco by it's popu-
| larity awakened opposition The antl-to-
| bacconists were headed by James l, who
| characterized the custom as ''loathsome to
| the eye harmful to the brain, dangerous
| to the lungs, and in the black fume thereof
| nearest resembling the horrible Stygian
smoke of the pit that is bottomleSS.' This
royal condemnation of smoking called forth
similar illusions to the British solomon
'Counterblaste," and for many years the
tobacconists-as the smokers, not the sell
ers, of tobacco were then called-came In
for severe criticism. All classes INDUCED in
tobacco, nor were the ladies SqueamiSh in
partaking of the fragrant weed In those
days smoking was more expensive habit
than it is to-day. Tobacco cost % cents
an ounce, equal, according to present val
ues, to $3.50. 1t was also sold for it's weight
in silver, and our ancestors were accus-
toned to reserve their heaviest shillings for
Much as the Englishman likes his glass of
beer, he prizes his pipe much more, and one
can easily imagine the storm which would
arise if the House of Commons took steps
to stop smoking. Yet, in 1921, Sir William
Stroud moved in the House of Commons
that he would have tobacco banished
wholly out of the realm and not brought
| in nor used among u.s."
Sir Guy Palmes said that if tobacco be
not banished it will overthrow 100000 men
| in England, for now 1t was so common he
had seen men take it at the pillow. James !
was not alone in his attempt to uproot the
| habit of smoking Pagan, Mohammedan
| and Christian mOnarchs combined to crush
| it out. Peter the Great prohibited the use
| of tobacco. and so did the Shah of Persia.
Amurath VII of Turkey ordered that all
smokers should have their noses slit and a
| tobacco pipe thrust through; they were then
| to be paraded through the streets as a
! warning. For smoking the leaves of plant
! death was the penalty. for snufing it up the
| nostrils the nose was cut off. But neither
| the DEGREES of princes nor the thunderS Of
| poDes could check the habit. The wit of
! fools and the wisdom of scholars was alike
| wasted in tru1tleSS endeaVOrS to Danish to-
| bacco. Such efforts seem ridiculous now
| adays. Imagine, if you can, a Turk with
| out his cigarette, q German without his
| pipe an Englshman without his cigar.
Among the Puritans tobacco was at first
| abhorred, but gradually it gained ground.
| Quakers smoked, but Friends were re-
| quested ito partake of tobacco privately
| and in their own houses in order not to en-
| courage smoking and make the use thereof
| excessive"
In the American colonies tobacco took the
form of COIN For harboring a Quaker or
bringing one from England a fine of 5000
pounds of tobacco was inflicted. A cargo of
young women was brought from England
for wives for the settlers. and these were
disposed of at 120 pounds of tobacco a head.
The use of tobacco to-day is universal. The
Americans consume nine pounds q head.
while the Engishman only smokes eighteen
pounds head per annum. To the habit of
smoking is attributed by some the irritable
i'll health and nervousness of to-day But
the worry and trouble of modern life de-
mand a sedative, and tobacco supplies that
demand. What the world would be without
tobacco nobody can imagine. Let anti-to-
bacconists and faddistS remember that it
has been proved officially in France and
privately in Belgium, Germany and Eng
land that no criminal has ever committed
a crime of violence while smoking. "A man
who is smoking is not likely to commit a
bad act. Tobacco seems to make him bet
ter natured and more resigned"
HIS DARING RIDE