122 Medicinal Properties of Tobacco. 



influence, soon gave signs of returning vigor. His stomach 

 resumed its wonted tone, his muscles acquired their former 

 elasticity, and his speaking was no more annoyed by a relaxa- 

 tion of them. 



A respectable man of my acquaintance, about forty years of 

 age, who commenced chewing tobacco at the age of eigh- 

 teen, was for a long time annoyed by depression of spirits, 

 which increased until it became a settled melancholy, with 

 great emaciation, and the usual symptoms of that miserable 

 disease. All attempts to relieve him proved unavailing, un- 

 til he was persuaded to dispense with his quid. Immediately 

 his spirits revived, his countenance lost its dejection, his 

 flesh increased, and he soon regained his health. Another 

 man, who used tobacco very sparingly, became affected with 

 loss of appetite, sickness at stomach, emaciation and melan- 

 choly. From a conviction that even the small quantity he 

 chewed was the source of his trouble, he entirely left it off*, 

 and very soon recovered. 



I was once acquainted with a learned, respectable and 

 intelligent physician, who informed me, that from his youth 

 he had been accustomed to the use of this baneful plant, 

 both by smoking and chewing. At length, after using it very 

 freely while indisposed, he was suddenly seized with an alarm- 

 ing vertigo, which, without doubt, was the result of this de- 

 structive habit. This afflicting complaint was preceded by 

 the usual symptoms which accompany a disordered stomach, 

 and a relaxation of nerves, with which. Gentlemen, you are 

 too familiar to need a description here. After the applica- 

 tion of a variety of remedies to little or no purpose, he quit 

 the deleterious practice, and though his vertigo continued 

 long and obstinate, he has nearly or quite recovered his former 

 health. And he has never doubted but that the use of tobac-" 

 CO was the cause of all his suffering in this disagreeable dis- 

 ease. Many more cases might be cited, but sufficient has 

 been said to establish the doctrine here laid down. 



Having gone through with an examination of the physical 

 influence of tobacco, let us now, for a few moments, attend to 

 Its political and moral inhuence. 



1. It is a costly practice. The whole adult population in 

 the United States is estimated at six millions, one half of 

 whom are males. Allowing but one half of these to use to- 

 bacco in some form, we shall have one and a half millions to 

 be taxed with this consumption. If we take into the account 

 all who are in its use before they arrive at the period of adult 

 age, it would swell the amount to two millions. Lest we should 

 be accused of exaggeration, we will estimate the whole num- 



