64 A LECTURE ON TOBACCO.' 



instead of robust thinkers.-^ They form indolent and ex- 

 pensive habits, and then expect their purses to be filled 

 by those who have shown more self-denial and more self- 

 respect. 



Moderate smoking, like moderate drinking, too often 

 leads on to what is obviously hurtful. Temperance con- 

 sists in keeping to the rule which reason approves ; where 

 reason demands abstinence, any indulgence is intempe- 

 rate. As wine or beer is to spirits, so is tobacco to opium. 

 The use of the one may prepare the way for the other.^ 

 Those who seem to have exhausted the relief to be 

 gained from smoking, often addict themselves to morphine 

 or to chloral. These anaesthetics are becoming danger- 

 ously common ; we are continually hearing of their fatal 

 effects ; and when woi7ien resort to them, whom the cus- 

 toms of society debar from tobacco, they can often plead 

 that their husbands and brothers justify the use of narco- 

 tics by their example. 



And now what is to be done ? Some may say : " Do 

 nothing ; what is the use ? The more foolish you show 

 a practice to be, the more attractive will it be to fools. 

 There have been laws against tobacco ; a royal ' Counter- 

 blast ' against it ; the remonstrances of divines, physicians, 

 and shrewd men of the world against it; and yet the 

 habit is increasing ! " But many have formed it without 



1 Sir David Brewster, in his " Life of Sir Isaac Newton " (vol. 

 ii. p. 410), records that the great philosopher, "when he was asked 

 to take snuff or tobacco, declined, remarking that he would make 

 no necessities to himself." 



2 In 1843, 47,000 lbs. of opium were used in England ; the an- 

 nual import is said to have now reached about 400,000 lbs. In the 

 United States the Custom House returns were about 250,000 lbs. 

 in 1877; and, in 1880, 516,600 lbs. 



