Imagens da página
PDF
ePub

dred thousand pounds. And this is much under rather than over the mark! Three million five hundred thousand pounds taxes regularly and honestly paid! And- -hush, readers! we must whisper the next sentence. The above statement makes no reference to the small quantities which are every now and then snugly warehoused by moonlight, when "the deil's awa wi' the exciseman," and none of her majesty's servants are exposed to the slightest trouble or inconvenience!

From what has now been stated, the reader may very easily form a just and true estimate concerning the almost universal prevalence of the use of tobacco in one shape or another. It is all very well to assert, after the manner of some authors, that, as a general rule, the middle and lower classes alone indulge in its consumption. The assertion is not based on truth. The higher orders,-nay, the very highest,-are equally chargeable. Some of them are, and have been, inveterate smokers. And we need not wonder at this, when we consider their lack of useful employment. They have no thoughts of busy commerce and traffic to occupy their minds, as have those in an inferior station. They would experience a terrible difficulty in knowing how to murder passing time, if tobacco smoking did not offer its assistance. And thus many of them are perfect enthusiasts in the matter-passing hours, days, and almost weeks," in the clouds," rivalling, indeed, the devotion of the oriental opiumeater. They regard the weed in the light of a friend, -nay, as something even higher. Have we not heard of gorgeous temples, rich in blazing gold and velveted cushions, where deftly contrived cascades throw around a delicious shower of glittering and scented waters,-where beautiful statuary, and the low sighing of unseen music, charm the eye and ear of the voluptuary? And these are consecrated to the honour of tobacco! What a glorious sight to behold the meeting of worshippers! Kings, and royal princes, and haughty nobles, sage legislators, and crafty statesmen, assembled there! How gravely and silently are the fragrant clouds dispersed from their languid and aristocratic lips! Mighty resolutions and vital propositions have they lately been urging in their House of Peers, or Chamber of Deputies, but these are ending, as ofttimes they have done before,-in smoke. All the feverish excitement of debate is soothed,-all angry feeling against rival orators tranquillized! In a world of blissful oblivion the souls of the grandees are completely lost. Cares and perplexities of kingdoms and states are forgotten -rumours of war and threatenings of civil disaffection, the failure of national produce, and the "cries of them that have reaped,"" malice domestic, foreign levy, nothing can touch them further!"

From the first hour that tobacco was introduced into this country, various opinions have been entertained respecting its properties. Many who may peruse these pages will probably have read concerning the violent opposition which it originally encountered. Sir Francis Drake, who first brought the weed from Virginia, in 1586, was by an old divine publicly devoted to eternal torment for his pains; and Sir Walter Raleigh, who was the first gentleman about the court to patronize its use, was considered by the same reverend sage to have richly merited the block, even

allowing him to be guiltless of all other crime. From scores, nay, hundreds of volumes and manuscripts, denunciations were poured forth against the "hellish practice" of smoking. King James first and foremost became an author, distinguishing himself in his essay, entitled "The Counter-Blaste to Tobacco." The popes, one after another, published bulls, excommunicating all who were known to smoke in churches. In Constantinople, any Turk discovered to have a pipe in his possession, was marched through the streets with the instrument of offence transfixed through his nose. In Russia, the nose itself was at once cut off! And to complete the list of penalties, Amurath the Fourth declared smoking a capital crime, and punished with death all offenders!

Well-the consequences of this may be naturally conceived. The practice of smoking spread with amazing rapidity. Poor folk in remote parts, who might otherwise never have heard of the intoxicating weed, had their curiosity aroused when they met a friend deprived of his nose, or heard of some distant relation losing his head. Thus we discover, that human nature three hundred years ago was much the same as we find it now. Yet we have not learned the lesson which such a discovery ought to teach. Still do we proscribe an objectionable book, well knowing that the next day a thousand will be inquiring for it. Still do we applaud and reward the breaking of a tradesman's window, who has offended by vile traffic, although, as a natural and foreseen sequel, his shop in a few hours is besieged by customers, who might otherwise never have become informed of its existence! So it was with tobacco. The more anathemas were poured forth against it, the more did the sin increase and multiply.

After a while persecution was stayed-the matter was left an open question, and people were allowed to gratify their inclinations and appetites if they liked. So, from that time to this, one party has lauded it to the skies, esteeming its use not only a harmless indulgence, but an invaluable medicinal blessing.-Whilst another party, with equal energy, denounces it as a noxious poison, certain eventually to enfeeble the most vigorous constitution.

We have already stated, that the object of this paper is to discover whether the moderate use of tobacco is really injurious to the human economy. And if we can come to a decided and satisfactory resolution, we trust that the reader will not esteem our efforts entirely useless or unimportant.

And, first, let us consider the peculiar physiological action which tobacco exercises on man. We shall not enlarge upon its medicinal properties, as these cannot of course form a part of the argument on one side or the other. We may, however, just mention in passing, that given internally, and with proper precautions, tobacco has been found useful in certain serious diseases, as dropsies, hydrophobia, epilepsy, tetanus, spasmodic asthma, and others of a similar class. An infusion of the herb employed as an application to the skin has also proved serviceable in inflammations of the joints, especially when of a gouty or rheumatic character, and also in certain skin dis

eases.

But if administered improperly, and in an over-dose, tobacco is a mortal poison. Various cases of death from its use are recorded. Two young men, out of

vulgar bravado, engaged to smoke a certain number of pipes in a given time. The debauch concluded, in the one case, at the seventeenth pipe, in the other at the eighteenth. Both lost their lives. Dr. Marshall Hall, an eminent London physician, has also published a case, in which a youth, anxious to acquire the manly accomplishment, smoked two pipes as his first essay. This imprudence was within a hair's breadth of causing his death.

Tobacco appears to act directly upon the nervous system, and secondarily upon the heart itself, producing faintness, palpitations, and various unpleasant symptoms, which will be more fully particularized before we conclude this part of the subject. The action of the heart is disordered solely as a consequence of the nervous derangement which has been already stated in the first place to occur. This was proved by Sir Benjamin Brodie, in the following experiments. Sir Benjamin introduced a quantity of tobacco infusion into the system of a dog. It died in a few minutes

the heart being paralysed. Another dog was selected, and its head speedily removed, whilst, by artificial respiration, the pulsations of the heart were maintained. The poisonous infusion was then in the same manner introduced into the system of the animal, but its heart was not paralysed, or in any way unnaturally affected. Thus was it proved, that the brain and nervous system are first disordered, and through the medium of these the heart next suffers.

In the human subject an over-dose of tobacco is followed by a series of well-marked and very distressing symptoms. We have the best opportunity of observing these in young men who are making themselves ill by "learning to smoke." The first complaint is of a peculiar oppressive pain at the pit of the stomach; the pulse is rapid and excitable, soon becoming of extreme feebleness; the intellect and recollection are for the time much impaired; the limbs tremble; the sense of vision is obscured, and specks appear to be floating before the eyes. As previously observed, there is a tendency to fainting, palpitation at the heart, giddiness in the head, and cool, clammy perspirations break out over the body. These symptoms are generally relieved by a free vomiting, which is speedily induced. The entire prostration of bodily strength, which follows as a consequence of the general muscular relaxation, is most remarkable. And occasionally, in certain surgical operations, tobacco is employed to produce this state of depression, which is necessary in order to diminish the resistance offered to surgical manipulation by the involuntary rigidity of the muscles. Thus tobacco has frequently been administered to favour the reduction of dislocations. And its effects are most complete. The strongest man is brought to a condition of almost deadly debility, and whilst the action of the medicine continues, a weanling might control a Samson.*

So much then for the effects of tobacco, considered apart from its more popular properties. It is almost unnecessary to add, that if its use as an article of

It is not probable that this extreme depression would be induced by the mere practice of smoking. In the cases where we suppose it to be employed medicinally, we allude to the introduction of an infusion of tobacco into the system. Loss of life from smoking is very rare, but if the herb be actually swallowed without proper precautions, it will inevitably poison.

luxury be obstinately continued, in spite of the unpleasant symptoms which we have described, the human system becomes accustomed to the process, and ceases to be distressed by it. Instead of extreme discomfort and miserable nausea, the use of the weed produces peculiarly soothing and pleasurable sensations. Men suffering from embarrassment, or violent and exciting passions, as of anger or revenge, seek consolation from their pipes, and strange as the result may be, they arise quieted, and more disposed to be guided by the dictates of their reason. In consequence of these properties, the use of tobacco has increased, in spite of every opposition,-it has become an unrestricted article of commerce in all parts of the world, and is employed to an enormous extent in this country, as we have already proved by reciting the average annual duties on its importation.

We now come to our last and most important proposition. We have endeavoured, in plain language, to describe the mode in which tobacco acts upon the human system, and it now remains for us to show whether this action, when moderately excited, is productive of good or evil. We trust that our impartiality thus far has propitiated all readers, whatever their prejudices may be, and disposed them to pay some little regard to certain facts which we are about to lay before them.

Many of the most serious and dangerous maladies to which the human frame is subject, have at different times, and by various writers, been ascribed to the free use of tobacco. Diseases of the lungs and heart, apoplexy, paralysis, diarrhoea, and dysentery have been especially distinguished. The physicians who have recorded such cases, have not, however, offered any direct proof to substantiate their opinions. The patient, perhaps, has been known to be an inveterate smoker or snuff-taker, or he dates the earliest symptoms of his disease from the time when he first commenced his regretted habit. This circumstance, nevertheless, should not weigh too strongly in argument, for there is no denying that the coincidence might have been perfectly accidental. At any rate, the matter could only be considered as one of grave suspicion, and it remained for future and more extended inquiries to clear away the doubt.

These desirable investigations have been recently laid before the medical profession. They are most extended, most accurate, and most incontrovertible. And we shall probably startle some few of our readers, who from past remarks may not be prepared for the assertion, that no one of the diseases which we have mentioned, can with the slightest show of propriety be referred to the influence of tobacco. On the contrary, they demonstrate beyond all doubt that the use of the plant, in very many instances, exerts a power in warding off the very maladies which it has been supposed to produce!

For a long period nothing satisfactory could be determined upon this subject, great difficulty was ex-. perienced in making sufficiently ample observations, and in accumulating sufficiently numerous statistics. But of late time the medical officers attached to the immense tobacco manufactories established in various parts of the continent-more especially at Paris, Strasbourg, Havre and Bordeaux, have by direction of the authorities supplied the desideratum. We have

now before us accurate reports of the state of health possessed by the hundreds and thousands of workpeople in these factories, who are constantly under medical inspection. They are exposed to the influ

ences of tobacco in its most concentrated and consequently in its most dangerous form-of course putting out of the question actual administration by swallowing. They receive the leaves in their dry and almost inodorous condition, for the fresh leaf has but little of the acridity possessed by that which has undergone manufacture. If the tobacco be intended for smoking, the first process consists in moistening the leaves, next in depriving them of their grosser parts, and lastly in cutting or tearing them into shreds, and drying the mass upon heated plates. If snuff is to be made, the tobacco previously moistened, torn into shreds, and picked, is collected in immense heaps and left for months to ferment. It is then ground to a powder, and again garnered into heaps, that the process of fermentation may be repeated. In this way twentyfive thousand pounds weight are manufactured at a time!

It will now be obvious, that every artizan employed in these factories must have his system more fully exposed to the influence of tobacco than he could possibly have by any other mode of procedure; he breathes an atmosphere loaded with the effluvia from the plant in a moist and also in a fermenting condition.

Now what is observed to result from all this? We will quote from the Lancet, which sums up the statistical reports, to which we have already alluded, in the following manner :

"The health of the work-people is generally good -better, indeed, than that of the neighbouring population. There is no malady whatever, nervous or otherwise, from which they appear particularly to suffer. It is also remarked, that their lives appear to be quite as long as those of other work-people, and that they are generally able to work until age or accidental illness stops their labours."

So much, therefore, for the general influences of tobacco. We observe, "there is no malady what ever," which it appears to induce.

From the number of diseases which have been by many ascribed in certain cases to excess in tobacco-smoking, let us now specially select one, peculiarly interesting, because of its awful prevalence in this country. Who amongst us is not already too familiar with that insidious affection, which, whilst it bringeth bloom to the cheek, and beauty to the eye, and fire to the intellect, bringeth also a certain and lingering death. Of course we allude to consumption, or, as the disease is professionally named, phthisis pulmonalis. The climate of France is as variable, and consequently as consumpive-breeding as ours can possibly be, and a large

number of the work-people employed in the continental manufactories are young men and girls, who have reached the age at which the malady is most frequently developed. Here, therefore, we can at once decide the question. Do we find the mortality from phthisis greater amongst this class of people than amongst artizans employed elsewhere?

Let us again quote from the periodical before named.

"At the manufactories of Bordeaux, Havre, Lille, Morlaix, and Strasbourg, phthisis is stated to be much less frequent among the work-people than among other artizans.

"At Bordeaux, the disease is very rarely found among them, and progresses much slower in that class than with the rest of the population."

"At Havre, where phthisis is common, it is so rare at the tobacco manufactory, that there has scarcely been a case observed."

"At Morlaix, phthisis is always less violent in its progress, and less severe, when it attacks the manufactory people than with other artizans."

"At Lille it is much less frequent than among those who work in cotton."

"At Strasbourg the work-people have not presented a case of phthisis."

[ocr errors]

Let it be borne in mind that these statistics are not partial or incomplete. Observations have not been made upon the health of a few scores, but thousands of artizans, of both sexes, constantly exposed to the most powerful external influences of tobacco, have been from time to time subjected to a medical inspection, authorized by government commission. In one factory alone-that of Gros-Caillon-a thousand people are employed. Let it also be remembered by the reader, that the gentlemen who have collected these extremely interesting results, are not fussy, ignorant meddlers, but men of well-known scientific attainments-French physicians, and acute ones, too!

Our paper has already become extended to an inconvenient, and, we fear, to a tedious length; but the subject is undeniably one of importance, and whether the reader be a smoker or not, there are certain points offered here for his notice, which cannot fail to interest him. Excess in any indulgence must invariably be hurtful. Excess in the use of tobacco is, without doubt, no exception to this rule, but we think that the arguments which we have laid before the reader, (with certain others, not mentioned, because scarcely suited to the pages of a popular periodical,) justify us in concluding, that the moderate use of tobacco is by no means injurious to health. And so strong do we consider the evidence in its favour, as a medicine exerting some happy influence in phthisis, that we should not hesitate to recommend its use in threatened cases of this sad disease.

[graphic][merged small][ocr errors][ocr errors]
« AnteriorContinuar »