INFLUENCE ON THE HUMAN SYSTEM. 83 



the quantity to the constitution and habit of the 

 body, and then, from want of material or any 

 other cause, the same be left off for a time — is it 

 not a striking fact that not a symptom of the 

 slightest kind of poisoning by tobacco is exhibited 

 by the smoker, the chewer, or the snuff-taker? 

 On the contrary, we are told by the opponents of 

 tobacco of many instances in which the habit was 

 left off with immediate beneficial results to the 

 general health — and the fact is, in the very nature 

 of things, perfectly possible ; but it is the total 

 absence of jioison-effects to which I would call 

 attention — if the body was really poisoned by the 

 use of tobacco in the forms under consideration. 

 It may be alleged that the mineral poison tends 

 to remain in the system, whereas the vegetable 

 poison tends to escape ; but with regard to the 

 latter, we are compelled to remember that many 

 medical witnesses, at a late trial, expressed a 

 strong opinion that one vegetable poison, strych- 

 nine, could be found in the body many months 

 after death.* What the sensations of other 



* Palmer's Case — the Defence. 



G 2 



