NATURAL SCIENCES OF PHILADELPHIA. 93 



March 29th. 



Mr. Lea ; President, in the Chair. 



Fifty members present. 



The Report of the Proceedings of the Biological Department for the 

 present month was read. 



The paper read before the Biological Department, entitled " On Sup- 

 puration in Cancerous Growths, by J. J. Woodward, M. D./' was re- 

 commended for publication in a Medical Journal. 



On report of the respective Committees the following were ordered to 

 be printed in the Proceedings : 



Observations on the Species of Nicotiana. 



BY JOHN LE CONTE. 



'' Planta beata, deeus terrarum, munus Olympi, 

 Dissipat ignavum cerebio veternum, 

 Ingenium illustrat, si quando aut multa tenebraa 

 Colligit ingluvies cerebro, aut molimine longo 

 Iutellectus biat, reruin neque coneipit umbras, 

 Conceptasve tenet, vel caeca oblivia regnant, 

 Ut semel irrepit blando lux indita fomo, 

 Aufugiunt nubes atrse, curaeque tenaces, 

 Vis micat mventrix, dato velut obice veli 

 Tota oculis animi patet. ampli macbiua mundi. 



Tappius Oral, de Tahnco 



Among the extraordinary usages and customs which have been adopted by 

 man, and which have become nearly universal, none is more so than the use of 

 tobacco. That a plant, the first taste of which is so extremely nauseous, and 

 the effects produced by it so highly disagreeable, should become over the whole 

 habitable world an indispensable article of enjoyment, may well strike us with 

 wonder. Other plants for their exciting or intoxicating properties have always 

 been in use; for instance, the poppy, hemp and the Amanita muscaria but to- 

 bacco never produced these effecs ; rather the contrary, it soothes and indeed 

 stupifies, when not taken in excess. When a sufficient quantity is taken to act 

 with its full power on the animal economy, the feelings produced are most un- 

 qualifiedly disagreeable and annoying, nausea, vertigo, cold perspirations, pal- 

 pitation of the heart, and a sensation which must be very much like the 

 approach of death. Other narcotics, as opium and the extract of hemp, produce 

 nothing but the most pleasing emotions. What then has induced man to adopt 

 the use of this plant so opposite in its qualities ? The answer is contained in the 

 verses placed at the head of this paper, for the effects there described are truly 

 what arise from the temperate use of tobacco. Whether the use of any species 

 of this plant, or of others having similar properties, was known to the ancients, 

 is a question hard to be resolved. All that I can collect on tbis subject follows : 

 Herodotus (Klio, 202) says of the Skythi, that " they take the berries of a cer- 

 tain tree, kindle afire, and assemble around it in parties, and then throw these 

 berries on the fire, inhale the smoke, and intoxicate themselves with the smell, 

 in the same manner the Greeks do with wine; the more fruit they throw on, the 

 more intoxicated they get, until they rise up to dance and proceed to sing." 

 He says they likewise purify themselves after a funeral in the following man- 

 ner. "They make a close tent of felt blankets, with a vase filled with red hot 

 stones placed in it. Then taking some hemp seed, creep in under the blankets 

 and scatter it on the red hot stones, and produce such a vapor as no Grecian 

 stove can. Delighted with the effect produced, they utter loud bowlings ; this 

 stands them instead of a bath, for they never by any chance wash their bodies 

 in water." In this respect they resemble our American Indians, and must have 



1859.] 



