TOBACCO 



depends for its effect on an extremely powerful drug, theine 

 or caffeine, of which it contains minute proportions. There 

 are very few other plants known which possess this powerful 

 substance. Amongst these is the Kola nut, which is every- 

 where regularly employed in West Africa. On the way up 

 to the barracks at Freetown, Sierra Leone, natives were 

 always to be seen seated by the roadside; they sold kola 

 nuts to the soldiers, who were thereby enabled to walk 

 steadily and uprightly past the sentry, and to return his 

 challenge in a clearly articulate voice, although they might 

 previously have been somewhat injudiciously convivial in the 

 town. This kola is one of the very strongest nerve tonics ; 

 under its influence men can endure severe physical and 

 mental strain. Like the others, however, a depressing re- 

 action inevitably follows, accompanied by insomnia, head- 

 ache, and other evil effects. 



When one comes to ask. Why do those few plants out 

 of all the vast multitude of the vegetable world possess such 

 extraordinary virtues ? it is difficult to find an answer. 

 Possibly some obscure insect or fungus enemy finds caffeine 

 poisonous. 



Nor can one find any reason for the curious properties 

 developed in the Tobacco leaf by fermentation, except 

 a possible protection to the leaf from the attacks of insects. 

 No doubt the leaf, even in its natural state, would be too 

 strong for them. 



Tobacco is a native of Central America. The name 

 Nicotiana tahacum is derived (the first) from a certain Jean 

 Nicot, Ambassador to the King of Portugal, and the second 

 from the Haytian name for a pipe. 



On Columbus's voyage in 1492 the use of tobacco was 

 noted. The story of Sir Walter Raleigh's servant, who 



127 



