MEDICINAL ACTION. 133 



tlieir doses, the doctors would not estimate our 

 bodies' capability of resistance by Dr. Pidduck's 

 scale of fleas and bugs. Fiat haustus or linctus 

 will not do with the pride of nicotiana. The 

 infinitesimal globules of Hahnemann will be 

 best adapted to a medicine which, given to the 

 blood in its normal activity, will shake, within 

 three minutes, all the nervous centres of the 

 body. 



§ Is Tobacco a Peophylactic ? 



In the Introduction I have put forth this opinion, 

 which has been doubted by the medical profes- 

 sion.* It is, nevertheless, a belief of the popular 

 mind; and, whether well founded or not, if it 

 only tends to quiet the mind during certain 

 ■epidemics, beyond doubt it has an immense ad- 

 vantage. Certain mineral and vegetable sub- 

 stances have apparently operated as preservatives 

 against epidemic influences : the cholera, it is 

 said, spared the manufactories where animal 

 charcoal, sulphur, or mercury were manipulated ; 



* Tereira, ' Mat. Med.' 



