Year: 1873

TOBACCO AS MEDICINE.


We think VIC have now shown to the
satisfaction Of every candid mind that
tobacco is an article destructive, to a
greater or less extent, alike to the health
intellect and morals of all who use it.
and that its hatiiual use ought to be
abandoned by every one. In fact, there
are few who have not at all times beer
ready to admit this. There are some
however, who claim for it medicinal
qualities. What are they!


Tobacco is described in the Dispense
tories as being cathartic, an emetic
narcotic, sialagogue, etc etc. 4; and
has been said at one time Or another to
possess nearly every other medical prop
erty beside. Indeed, there is scarcely
any human malady for which it has moi
at some tim or other been claimed as a
remedy. Yet DR.. Wood speaks of its
present standing as a medicine in the
following terms "Its remedial employ
ment is LEES extensive than might be in.
ferred from the variety of its powers
1t seems then more recently to have lost
character with the profession as remed-
ial agent. In fact, death has SO often
resulted from its use as medicine, tha,
it is now for the most part abandoned as
such.


Tobacco has sometimes been employ.
ed externally as an emetic, in the form
of cataplasm applied to the abdomen
1t cannot be administered internally to
either man or beast with safety. We
heard the other day of a man who, hav-
ing a sick dog, and wishing to give him
an emetic, took cigar and soaked it in
a glass of water, and gave the dog the
infusion bu. it killed him go quickly
that he had not time to vomit.


1t is claimed that tobacco is a sover-
eign remedy for the itch !! This disease
is an irritation produced by micro scopie
insect, which buries itself in the skin.-
From the well known effects of tobacco
in destroying animal and insect life, We
are disposed to admit that it might be O.
some use here. Tobacco is always in
place where there is anything to oe Kill
ed. But you must look out you do moi
kill your patient, too.


1t is claimed that tobacco is good tc
preserve the teeth, and that it cures
tootbache How any one could for &
momen entertain an idea so absurd as
the former, we cannot imagine. 1t:
effects on the teeth are directly tn. oppo-
site. The late Dir. John Burdell, den
tist, of New York; says that tobacco
causes the gums to recede from the teeth
thus loosening them and rendering then
liable to drop out. DR.. Rush mentions
the case of man in Philadelphia who
lost all his teeth by smoking. And
there are well known instances of the
teeth being worn down to level with
the gums simply by the mechanical effect
Of chewing quid Of tobacco between
them-aided, as i. no doubt ia, by the
chemical action of the tobacco juice upon
them. Tobacco is certainly the very last
thing in the world that we should ever
think of using as a dentriiice. It may
afford temporary relief in cases of tooth
ache where the nerve is exposed but
only in those unaccustomed to its use.-
But that it does either by deadening the
nervous sensibility OF the part to which
it is applied, or by causing revulsion Of
the nervous system, making the subject
deathly sick. We should think the
remedy was worse than the disease.


No, not even as medicine do we need
tobacco. We do not think the annals Of
medicine can furnish single instance