698 MEALS MEDICINAL. 
Tobacco, from which nearly 98 per cent of the nicotine is said 
to be extracted when in the raw state, has been recently introduced 
by Dr. R. Kissling ; and he adds, “ The cigars prepared in this 
way leave nothing to be desired as regards flavour, and aroma.” 
If this be really the case much may be done towards revolution- 
izing the manufacture of safe, irreproachable Tobacco. 
Tea cigarettes have been put into use by some persons of 
late in this country, being made with green tea (the unbroken 
leaf) ; which is rendered damp so that the leaves may become 
pliable for stuffing into the paper cylinders, but not wet enough 
to affect the paper. The cigarettes are then laid by for a few 
days ; afterwards the feeling of one in the mouth is peculiar, 
but the flavour is not so disagreeable as might be supposed ; 
the effect on a tyro is a sense of a thickened head, with a dis- 
position to take hold of something for support, or to sit down. 
If the beginner stops here he will not try a tea cigarette again ; 
but if he sits down, and attempts to smoke a second cigarette, 
inhaling the smoke deeply, then the sense of thickening passes 
away, and is succeeded by one of immense exhilaration, which 
stage lasts as long as the smoke continues. But subsequently 
the agony inflicted by the opium fiend is a shadow to that which 
overtakes the nauseated victim of the tea cigarettes. Food 
cannot be looked at for hours, and yet the first step towards 
recovery is to take a cup of tea. Then an hour afterwards comes 
a craving for a (Tobacco) cigarette. 
After all, therefore (putting aside such innocent growths as 
the leaves of garden rhubarb, beet, and sage), ordinary Tobacco 
(with all its disadvantages) which finds its way into the pipes 
of Europe, is really the least harmful indulgence for the smoking 
habit which is so widespread, and so alluring. In several 
eruptive skin diseases the moderate use of Tobacco smoking 
seems to be decidedly useful, by allaying irritability of the 
cutaneous nerves. Similarly for obviating constipation of the 
bowels a morning smoke will serve to relax the muscular fibres 
of the intestinal walls, and of the fundament, thus bringing 
about an easy stool after breakfast, and clearing the decks for 
the day. Charles Lamb, writing about himself as “the late 
Elia” in his last Essays, has said: ‘‘ He was temperate in his 
meals, and diversions, but always kept a little on this side of 
abstemiousness. Only in the use of the Indian weed he might 
be thought a little excessive. He took it, he would say, as & 
