but it is doubtful whether the plant was in- 

 troduced by them from England or whether 

 they continued a culture learned from the Na- 

 tives. From Virginia it spread to the other 

 colonies. In Peru and other parts of South 

 America the growing of tobacco was well es- 

 tablished at the time of the Spanish Conquest. 



In 1560 Jean Nicot, the French Ambassador 

 at Lisbon, sent some tobacco to Catherine de 

 Medici as a cure for headache. Catherine was 

 pleased with it and is said to have become quite 

 addicted to its use. Tobacco was designated 

 the "Queen's herb" and the "Sovereign herb" 

 from this circumstance and Nicot himself is 

 perpetuated in the word "Nicotine" and its 

 derivatives. 



Many persons erroneously give credit to 

 Nicot for the introduction of tobacco into 

 Europe. It is quite clear, however, from 

 Oviedo's book, quoted above, that the plant 

 was known in Spain very much earlier; and it 

 is most probable that the immediate followers 

 of Columbus brought samples of the leaves and 

 pipes back to Spain with them. Moveover, in 

 1558, Phillip II of Spain sent Francisco Her- 

 nandez, a physician, to investigate the re- 

 sources, etc., of Mexico, and on his return he 

 brought back tobacco as one of the products, 

 and grew it as a drug. From Spain and Eng- 



14 



