PREFACE. 



" Have you not set mine honour at tlie stake, 

 And baited it with all the unmuzzled thoughts 

 That tyrannous heart can think ? " 



Twelfth Night, iii. 1. 



In the ' Times ' paper of Friday, Feb. 9th inst., 

 the following notice appeared in the column of 

 minor facts and memoranda : — 



" Is SMOKING INJURIOUS TO HEALTH ? — An interesting 

 discussion is now going on in 'The Lancet' upon the 

 effects of smoking. The use of tobacco has, during the 

 last half-century, greatly increased in England, and has 

 now become an almost universal practice. This question, 

 in which the leading members of the medical profession 

 are taking part, must not only greatly interest the public, 

 but may very materially affect the revenue of this country, 

 when it is known that the income derived from the con- 

 sumption of tobacco was last year upwards of 32,192,943?. 

 — the duty on which was more than 5,220,000?. This 

 return is independent of cigars, which was about 150,000?. 

 An able article on the tobacco question appears in ' The 

 Lancet' of the present week by Mr. Solly, F.ll.S., of St. 

 Thomas's Hospital, which will be read with interest by all 

 inveterate smokers." 



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