302 MAN AND NATURE. 



of food, in multiplying largely in certain countries the 

 amount of human life ! Ireland is now paying back to 

 America, under the form of emigrants, some part of 

 that excess of population due to the exuberant culture 

 of the potato on Irish soil. Tobacco, that strange 

 herb, which, unknown to all former ages, has now be- 

 come so general a luxury or almost necessity to man- 

 kind, may perhaps be deemed a more doubtful benefit. 

 Mr. Marsh, somewhat unexpectedly in an American 

 writer, utters as vehement a counter-blast against it as 

 did our own King James : 



I wish I could believe with some that America is not 

 alone responsible for the introduction of that filthy weed, 

 tobacco, the use of which is the most vulgar and pernicious 

 habit engrafted by the semi-barbarians of modern civilisation 

 upon the less multifarious sensualism of ancient life. But the 

 alleged occurrence of pipe-like objects in Sclavonic and, it has 

 been said, in Hungarian sepulchres, is hardly sufficient evidence 

 to convict those races of complicity in this grave, offence 

 against the temperance and refinement of modern society. 



Though it is not our business to argue the matter 

 here, we may remark that this angry invective is justi- 

 fied in relation to excess only. The question is really 

 one of use or abuse, as in regard to every article of 

 ordinary diet, and very especially in relation to wine 

 and other alcoholic liquors. Any allowance granted 

 to a temperate use of these may at least as fairly and 

 safely be conceded to tobacco, and even with some 

 specialties in favour of the latter. 



We have given largely also to America of our 

 vegetables of culinary use. For most of these, indeed, 

 as improved from their original wild state, England is 



