The Hygiene of Tobacco 309 



' The war in South Africa,' remarked the Lancet 

 a few months ago, ' has taught many things of greater 

 and of less importance. Perhaps nothing that it has 

 demonstrated has been more marked than the impor- 

 tant part which tobacco plays in the soldier's existence. 

 Whether this is to be reckoned as a great fact or a 

 small one, there can be no doubt about the truth 

 of it. . . . It is difficult to believe that tobacco is 

 anything but a real help to men who are suffering 

 long labours and receiving little food, and probably 

 the way in which it helps is by quieting cerebration — 

 for no one doubts its sedative qualities — and thus 

 allowing more easily sleep, which is so all-important 

 when semi-starvation has to be endured. We are 

 inclined to believe that, used with due moderation, 

 tobacco is of value second only to food itself, when 

 long privations and exertions are to be endured.' 



Referring to a French society which acts upon the 

 principle that ' tobacco is always useless, often harm- 

 ful, and sometimes homicidal,' the Lancet recently 

 laid down the truth as to good and cheap tobacco : 



'We agree in so far that we allow tobacco to be 

 sometimes very harmful. It is, of course, a poison ; 

 but so is tea, as also coffee, two vegetable products 

 which are consumed by nearly every inhabitant of 

 either England or France. All three can be and very 

 often are abused, but this does not do away with 

 their reasonable use. In these days of rush and 

 hurry tobacco has often a soothing and restful effect. 

 The tobacco sold in France is, to put it mildly, not 

 good, and though in England it is possible to buy 

 fairly good tobacco, it is next door to impossible to 



