114 TOBACCO : ITS HISTORY. 



"It is not surprising, therefore, that those who have 

 heen accustomed to smoke cigars, especially of strong 

 tobacco, should find any other pipe both tame and tasteless 

 except the short black cutty, which has lately come into 

 favour again among inveterate smokers. Such persons 

 live in an almost constant state of narcotism or narcotic 

 drunkenness, wliich must ultimately affect the health even 

 of the strongest." 



I believe that such smokers have a taste similar 

 to that of the Greeiilanders, and that it is the 

 relish of the bitter gum which gratifies them with 

 its peculiar flavour : it is probably analogous to 

 the hop in its properties, and may, in large quan- 

 tities, produce the habitual narcotism alleged to 

 exist — precisely like hops, which give their sopo- 

 rific quality to beer. Of course, if those persons 

 are habitual drinkers of strong liquors as well as 

 smokers, their state can scarcely be called '' nar- 

 cotic drunkenness" arising from tobacco. The 

 stimulus of alcohol and the stimulus of tobacco- 

 smoke exalt the action of the brain, and the 

 stimulus of both may be followed by a reaction, 

 which is drunkenness or the partial cessation of 

 the brain's function ; but I contend that the 

 habitual smoker would find it infinitely more 

 difficult to bring on that state by smoking than 



