NICOTIANA TABACUM. 
_ powder, to chew, or to smoke is universal, and fur no other reason 
than a sort of convulsive motion (sneezing), produced by the 
first, and a degree of intoxication by the two last modes of 
usage. A hundred volumes have been written against it, of 
which a German has preserved the titles, Among these books 
is that of James Stuart, King of England, who violently opposed 
it as injurious to health, and absolutely poisonous. The royal 
author styles it “a custom loathsome to the eye, hateful to the 
nose, harmfull to the brain, dangerous to the lungs, and in the 
black stinking fume thereof, nearest resembling the horrible 
Stygian smoke of the pit that is bottomless.” Notwithstanding, 
however, such opposition, smoking together with the use of 
snuff, has spread not only cordial civilized, but among savage 
nations, and there.is now probably no single product of the 
vegetable kingdom which is so extensively employed. All the 
sovereigns of Europe, and most of those of other parts of the 
world, derive a considerable part of their revenue from tobacco. 
CHEMICAL sees MEDICAL PROPERTIES AND USES. 
The recent leaves of Topacco possess very little odor or taste, 
but when dried their odor is strong, narcotic, and somewhat 
feetid, their taste bitter and extremely acrid. When well cured, 
their color is yellowish green, They emit sparks in burning, and 
give out a suffocating smoke, and when distilled, yield an essen- 
tial oil of a green phe; on which their medicinal properties are 
supposed to depend, and which is said to be a virulent poison. 
This oil is dissipated by the long coction of tobacco with water ; 
yet in distillation with ether, water or alcohol, no oil comes 
over. By infusion, however, it yields its active principles to all 
of these fluids. Its deflagration shows the presence of nitrate of 
potassa, and muriate of potassa has been discovered in its in- 
spissated juice. According to Vanquelin, tobacco appears to 
contain albumen or gluten, supermalate of lime, acetic acid, 
nitrate and muriate of potassa, muriate of ammonia, a red matter, 
soluble in alcohol and water, a green fecula, and a peculiar 
substance, on which the properties of the plant appear to depend, 
and which has been therefore named nicotin. This substance is 
colorless, acrid, has the odor of tobacco, and like it occasions 
violent sneezing. It is volatile, poisonous, and produces color- 
less solutions with alcohol and monet from .which it is thrown 
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