MEDICINAL ACTION. 143 



tion increased last year at tlie rate of one thou- 

 sand per day. And insanity, too, is ascribed to 

 tobacco — whilst it is well known that the female 

 lunatics exceed the male by a considerable number. 

 In short, nothing but the most glaring improbabi- 

 lities are adduced, and the assertions are such as 

 Mr. Solly may make when he pleases to his pupils 

 without fear of contradiction. I cannot but look 

 upon the whole excitement as an exhibition of ill- 

 conditioned prejudices — from whatever motive 

 proceeding I know not ; — but if Mr. Solly gave 

 up smoking, as he says, because he believed that 

 it impaired his nervous energy, I am sorry to feel 

 compelled to say that his letters in the ' Lancet ' 

 evince very considerable nervous weakness — in- 

 deed, such a weakness as would believe implicitly 

 in the existence of witches and hobgoblins.* 



* In the presence of the following facts, it is indeed 

 wonderful that Solly and his ilk should think it worth their* 

 vrhile to seek in tobacco a cause of "insanity" or "mania." 



" It has been calculated that drunkenness in England kills 

 annually 50,000 men. One-half of the insane, two-thirds of 

 the poor, three-fourths of the criminals of this country are 

 amongst the persons given to drink. It has been proved 

 that the four principal retailers of spirit in London receive 

 each week 142,458 men, 108,598 women, 18,391 youths, 

 giving a total of 269,447." — Dr. Levy, Hyfjienc, ii. 720. 



