76 ST NICOTINE 



early opportunity of purchasing from the merchant a 

 quantity of the prepared leaves, and some seeds of the 

 plant. Learning from him what use the Indians made of the 

 weed, and their manner of smoking it, he began to experi- 

 ment, first upon himself (as all good practitioners should 

 do) and liking it, he caused some of the seeds to be sown in 

 his garden, where to his great joy they grew and multiplied 

 exceedingly. There can hardly be a doubt that Nicot had 

 been told by the merchant that the Indians expressed a 

 juice from the leaves with which the}'' cured the wounds 

 received in battle, and that he had made this known 

 to his domestics. For Liebault says that the Lord 

 Ambassador was one day advertised of a young man of 

 kin to his page who had made assay of the herb, bruised 

 and in liquor, upon an ulcer he had upon his cheek near 

 unto the nose, coming of a Noli me tangere, which began 

 to take root already at the gristle of the nose, wherewith 

 he found himself marvellously eased. Whereupon Nicot 

 caused the said young man to be brought before him, and 

 after a minute inspection he ordered the sufferer to continue 

 the treatment eight or ten days longer. Nicot now hurried 

 off to the King of Portugal's physician and informed him 

 of the case, and together they watched the progress of the 

 cure. By the end of ten days the physician was enabled to 

 certify that the Noli me tangere was ' utterly extinguished ' 

 and the face ' comfortably healed.' Shortly afterwards 

 Nicot's cook almost cut off his thumb with a great chopping 

 knife, and he too, flew to the new remedy for relief, and 

 after five or six dressings was likewise comfortably healed. 

 A captain presented his son to the Lord Amadassador and 

 besought him to exert his healing art upon the boy, who 

 was grievously afflicted with the King's evil. And unto 

 him was assay made of the liquor of the herb, and again its 



