182 Review. 



" One of the kings of Spain was afflicted with a very 

 offensive breath ; to remedy which, the physicians ad- 

 vised his majesty to chew a composition of gum mas- 

 tic, ambergrease, and other perfumes ; the use of 

 which occasioned a great expenditure of saliva. The 

 courtiers, either out of compliment to their sovereign, 

 or, what is more probable, from the vanity of imitat- 

 ing their superiors, went very generally into the same 

 custom. The consequence was, that they who fol- 

 lowed the fashion with most ardour, lost their appe- 

 tites, and became emaciated, and consumptions in- 

 creased so fast among them, that the practice was 

 forbidden by royal edict. 



" Some do not eject the saliva ; but prefer swal- 

 lowing the nasty mixture ; which seldom fails to in- 

 duce faintness, palpitations of the heart, trembling of 

 the limbs, and, sooner or later, some serious chroni- 

 cal inconvenience. 



" After what has been said, who can doubt of the 

 bad effects of constant application of powdered tobacco 

 to the delicate membrane of the nose ; especially if 

 they know, what a thin partition divides the olfactory 

 cavity from the brain*. 



" I have been a Professor in this University twenty- 

 three years, and can say, as a physician, that I never 



* " Too constant use of strong *««j7, brought on a disorder of 

 the head, which was thought to have shortened the life of a cele- 

 brated divine, and accomplished gentleman: l cujus ttium a lingua 

 melle dulciur fuelat oratio.' 



