Year: 1873

BY JAMES COULTER LAYARD, Al. d.


CONCLUDED.


Some men there are who can quit the
use of tobacco at once, without the in
tervention of any such tapering off pro-
cess as that described above. When
this can be done without suffering or
other Inconvenience, we say, by all means
do it. Such, however, is not the case
with the majority. But most persons, at
least those who have not made an immod-
crate use of the weed. may give it up
by following the plan we have recon-
mended, without much difficulty, and
while still following their ordinary bust
ness thus losing no time. There are
sone persons, though, who have used to-
baeco to excess, and for a long period at
that, who cannot BY either of the meth
DDS suggested above, or by any method
that we know of relinquish the habit
without exderieucing such a reaction of
the nervous system as to unfit them for
the time being for business pursuits
Such should choose for the experiment a
tine when their presence can, with the
least inconvenience, be spared from their
business. and take furlough for this
purpose. Had we hospitals for the re-
ception aad treatment of patients of this
character, they wonld meet great pub
lie want. We have inebriate asyluma
for the cure of the Incorporate, in which
also opium eaters are sometimes received
for treatment but we have nothing OF
the kind specially adapted to the cure OF
users of tobacco. Such usually resort
when it is case demanding treatment
to some water cure. And upon the
whole we think they could not do much
better than this for the water treatment
is well calculated to allay the nervous
irritation they will experience.


There is one symptom which IS very
likely to appear early in the process OF
quitting the use of tobacco, that is in
somnia-sleeplessness. For this the best
remedy is hydrate of chloral, from Is to
80 grains, dissolved in water one drachm
By weight of the chloral t. 16 fluid
drachms of water, or to II drachms Of
water with 4 drachms of syrup of orange
peel, or lemon syrup, to flavor it.


A period Of illness from acute disease
affords a good opportunity to break of
the habit of using tobacco. A man may
be taken down and confined to bed with
an attack of fever, or some other disease,
of three or four week duration, and will
not use, nor wish to use, tobacco in any
form during the whole time be is i'll 1t
is doubtless true that when convalescent,
when the patient is becoming himself
again. and his old feelings and appetites
begin to return, the appetite for tobacco
will doubtless, to some extent, return
with the rest. But we can not believe
that after having been without the weed
for, say month, the craving will come
back with anything like its former pow
er In this length of time the nervous
system must have undergone complete
revolution with respect to the drug, but
any perturbation caused by its absence
has been lost sight of in the prevailing
malady, and in the effects of other drugs
administered for its cure. We would
say then to any user of tobacco to whom
such such an incident may occur, seize
the golden opportunity such may never
happen again. And ifSyou do thus take
advantage of you will be richly repaid
for all you may have suffered otherwise
by your Illness, and may thank Heaven
for it. Do not, though, wal. for period
of illness to reform, for that may be a
long timefn coming-may never come in
season to do you any good. Reform
now. "Now is the accepted time, now
is the day of salvation"


In entering upon an undertaking of
this kind much assistance is sometimes
to be derived from association This
was power in the days of the temper
ance reformation. Many poor sot was
enabled, by the moral support he obtain
ed in this way, to resist and finally to
conquer his craving for strong drink,
who could never have done so otherwise.
We have no anti-tobacco societies in this
country, but if you can associate your
self with circle of acquaiutances each
of whom is equally anxious with your
self to be freed from the tobacco plague,
and each pledge the other to ''touch not
taste not, handle not" the vile thing, or
il you can find but single friend will
ins to join you in declaring yourself free