A FEW WORDS ABOUT TOBACCO. 23 



A FEW WORDS ABOUT 

 TOBACCO. 



ALTHOUGH Jean Nicot, a French am- 

 bassador to Portugal, is credited with 

 the greatest service in, giving tobacco its 

 official recognition, it was really first 

 introduced into Europe in 1558 by Fran- 

 cisco Fernandes, a physician who had 

 been sent by Philip II. of Spain to inves- 

 tigate the products of Mexico. 



Nicot, however, on his return to 

 France in about 1560, carried it to 

 Catherine de Medici, the Queen ; and the 

 reception it met with from her and other 

 titled personages gave it reputation and 

 popularity. 



From Nicot and the Queen were derived 

 the titles, " Queen's Heat " (Nicotiana), 

 and subsequently to one of its prepa- 

 rations, " The Powder of the Queen." 



Lofty example and the sanction of high 

 life gave currency to any custom ; hence 

 tobacco became generally used. 



