70 TOBACCO : ITS HISTORY. 



frequent adulterations consisted of the addition, 

 in large quantities, of water, salt, and some 

 saccharine matter, either sugar or treacle.* 

 Water and salt are ingredients, it will be remem- 

 bered, avowedly necessary in the manufacture ; 

 and the addition of sugar, though contrary to 

 law, is positively beneficial to the smoker, because 

 smoking tends to diminish the saccharine con- 

 stituents of the blood. 



From my previous statements and arithmetical 

 calculations (if correct), the following informa- 

 tion from the ' Tricks of Trade ' will be con- 

 clusively proved to be correct — indeed, there can 

 be no doubt about the matter : — 



" The worst kind of fraud committed by the vendors of 

 cigars consists in manufacturing them in this country 

 from common, cheap, and coarse tobacco, and selling them 

 to the public as foreign produce. Nearly all the Cubas 

 sold in England at thi-eehalfpence each, or ten for a 

 shilling, are made in home manufactories. The Bengal 

 cheroots at twopence each, or seven for a shilling, many of 

 the threepenny Havannahs, and all the twopenny ones 

 likewise, have never travelled out of the United Kingdom." 



The rage of the public for enjoying luxuries at 

 a cheap rate is the cause of the evil ; for a bad 



* Tricks of Trade, p. 177. 



