The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-12-14
WORSE THAN TOBACCO.
Some Deadly Substitutes That Are smoked
In Rural England.

Tobacco is not the only weed that is
smoked in Britain-not by a lons way,
says a writer in the English weekly.
Answers. There is no need to go to
the far East to ferret out weird and
poisonous smoking habits; they lie all
aroun us.
In Somerset and the southwest
ties a great many persons smoke a
connection called '~sundew." 1t is not
a new fad. but has been in use for 800
years there. Sundew Is a mixture Of
sun dried beet leaves. parsley and pep
permint-a very little of the latter. j.
Is not a harmful mixture, though IL
conduces To considerable drowsiness.
and is anything but good for the teeth.
You may notice in the western oun
ties a good many persons with Drowned
or blackened teeth; 1t is the result Of
sundew smoking. The stuff is not
pleasant to a STRANGER, for IL is very hot
and choky and takes u great deal OF
getting used To.
Sundew is often home made. and most
of the country people are experts at
making II. They set apart a week In
July for the sundew harvest. n IL Is
always dried and mixed by ONE
However. there are three regular sun
dew factories i'm Somerset. where bush
els of the mixture are turned cut. It
can be bought from twopence To
thTeepence per ounce, according to
quality.
Going "A little further north. to Glou-
cestershire and Mid-Wales, you will
strike "A much worse habit. The peO-
pie thcrc-town and country alike-arc
much given TO smoking ''Glissop." ellis
sop Is "A sort of dry mash of hemlocE
leaves-the young shoots that grow in
the spring-burdock and ground chick
beans. This can also h. bought n
some shops, though most Of IL il home
made. When bought 1t fetches four
pence an ounce. This stuff Is smoked
In short wooden pines with very EMAIL
bowls, and is really disastrous i'm its
effects. Like sundew. IL needs practice
to get used TO. but is much p"leasantcr
TO the palate than that compound. lts
first effect on "A smoker is loss Of mem
DRY. and this increases till the smoker,
after six months Of the habit, is quite
untitled for any profession that re-
quires much thought. The eyeGiEht
soon becomes affected by constant and
excessive indulgence IN the habit. which
takes hold Of a man like m~orpnoulania
and Is almost inCurable.
Even small children may be seen
smoking ElissCp. though but FOR the
shape OF the pipe employed a stranger
would not know tLat they were not
smoking tobacco. unless he were very
| close. ne fln'll " tue E'lilk-s ibN %
ever, induces a tickling ~ the n1stri!s
and a sort of ~gid!ness. which = quite
unmistakable.
Tobacco is far less Injurious. even
when INDUCED in TO excess. han his
poisonous compound. Although il is
dearer than ordinary 'shag' tobacco.
the poorest people who are addicted TO
Il always get IL instead. They say they
cannot taste or smell even the strong
est tobacco any more than II il were
mist.
Various good people Of the districts.
| feeling distressed at the i'll effects Of
the bad habit. and alarmed at its prev
alence. have started regular crusadc3
against IL. holding meetings In the
streets and trying to set habltuals TO
sign a sort OF pledge never To touch
glissop again. IL has n stronger hold
than even drink, however.
But II all the poisonous compounds
smoked in that country. 'pennylcat'
takes the lead by a long head. u Is
another miXturc-and is chiefly COM
! posed Of narigo!d leaf. dock and a
vonomCus plant called Durham gloss
that grows In damp places In woods.
This compound Is smoked in short
clays. and a confirmed smoker VIII get
through a couple Of ounces a day. It's
cheapnoss recommends IL. and no per-
son who has moke much Of IL cares
for tobacco. 1t can be bought for q
penny an ounce from those who make
n special business Of its manufacture
and sale. or can, less easily. he made
at home. Most Of II s. bought. how
ever. and IL is chiefly used bV tho
countless factory hands - the Black
country and Lancashire. Thousands ~
bushels OF II are smoked every year. u
wealSens the iawbones FIRST. n after
ward the eyesiCht becomes affected,
But. most OF all. II operates on the
heart just as cigarette smoking does.