COMMUNICATIONS AND EXTRACTS. 99 



he considers not merely as a luxury, but an article 

 actually necessary to his existence/ — p. 787. 



" The quantity of this poisonous weed entered for 

 ' home consumption ' in the eleven months ending No- 

 vember, 1856, was 29,776,082 lbs. The deleterious 

 effects which this enormous amount of tobacco produced 

 upon its victims, both physically, mentally, and morally, 

 admits of no possible calculation." 



114. Dr. Pugh, in the Lancet of 21st February, 1857, 

 says: 



" I have read with interest the communications of Mr. 

 Solly which you have recently published ; and having 

 been fawrably circumstanced, during nearly twenty 

 years' practice in the Australian colonies, for observing 

 the pathological conditions arising out of the habitual 

 use of tobacco, I beg to add a few facts to those already 

 before the profession. 



" The life of an Australian squatter, without the set- 

 tled districts, is one of an exceedingly monotonous cha- 

 racter. He passes into positions far removed from all 

 intercourse with intelligent companions; he enjoys few 

 of the ameliorating circumstances which give a charm 

 to social life. His home is situated in the solitude of 

 the vast plain in which his flocks are fed, and he is 

 visited only by those who are in his employ. For the 

 year together, no opportunity occurs for interchange of 

 thought with educated minds. Thus circumstanced, it 

 is not surprising that an occasional instance is presented 

 of men becoming slaves to an agent by which they are 

 enabled to pass in dreamy stupor a portion of the weary 

 time of their voluntary banishment. Unfortunately, tho 



