REPORTS OF MEETINGS. I05 



this important particular, that whereas these native flpecimens contained 

 genuine leaf inside a spurious "vrrapper, in very many of modern examples 

 the outside wrapper is the only piece of tobacco present, and not always 

 ©Ten this, as a few years a cigar manufacturer resisted successfully aa 

 attempt to enforce the legal penalty for unlawfully making Havannah cigar* 

 from contraband tobacco by proving in his defence that he had used n» 

 tobacco at all in their manufacture. 



The introduction of the plants into Spain, and from thence into France, 

 *nd other parts of Europe has already been noticed, and Sir Walter Ealeigh 

 kas generally had the credit of having first brought it to England and taught 

 his countrymen to smoke in 1585. • 



The practice of smoking was introduced into India in the year 1609 as 

 appears from the works of an old Hindostanee physician ; and China is the 

 only nation besides the Indian tribes of America that claims anything lik« 

 antiquity for the custom. They have a tradition that cobacco was introduced 

 A.D. 1300, but it is asserted that the plant originally smoked was a diflFerent 

 herb, smoked in a similar way, and they were led to the substitution of 

 tobacco by the example of the Europeans. However, it does not seem 

 improbabie that Indians from the West Coast of North America may har* 

 introduced, not only the custom, but also the plant into both Japan and 

 China. 



A very early mention of the practice of chewing tobacco is made by 

 Pepys, in his diary in 1666, the year of the great plague, when he mentions 

 taking a quid to ketp his spirits up after having seen two or three of th« 

 houses in Drury Lane marked with the red cross. 



The heavy duties imposed on the importation of tobacco have at all times 

 been the cause of numerous methods of adulteration being adopted. BIr. 

 Pre>cott mentions the following substances as having been discovered im 

 manufactured tobacco. — Leaves of Rhubarb, Dock, Burdock, Coltsfoot, Beech 

 Plantain, Oak, and Elm, Peat earth, Bian, Sawdust, ilalt rootlets. Barley- 

 meal, Oatmeal, Beanmeal, Peaflower, Potato starch, and Chicory leaves 

 steeped in tar-oil ; and a parliamentary return made between 1852-64, addi 

 the following to the above list. — Sugar, alum, lime, saltpetre, fullers' earth, 

 starch, common salt, chromate of lead, peat moss, treacle, endive leaves, 

 cabbage, and lettuce leaver, lamp-black, gum, red dye, black dye, composed 

 ©f vegetetable red, iron and liquorice. Is there not death in the pipe f 



The composition of the leaves of tobacco has been acertained by Posselt 



* Stone lays that tobacco came into England in 1577, but Taylor asserts that it w»» 

 introduced 1565, by Sir John Hawkins ; there is considerable imcertainty a« to th» date u 

 irell as the namt of the first importer. 



