184 MEDICINAL AND POISONOUS PLANTS 



intoxicant — a practice which leads to most degrading effects 

 upon both mind and body. 



Tobacco consists of the dried leaves of the tobacco plant 

 (Fig. 173) which have been previously submitted to a process 

 of curing or fermentation. During this process is developed 

 a peculiar volatile sub.stance to which the aroma of the to- 

 bacco is mainly due. The chief active constituent is the 



Fig. 173. — Tui>:i':-(.'u [Xtculimia ni.^tlca, and A'. Tahacnm, NiffhtrihaUe 

 Family, Soianacece). A, Turkish tol^acco (iV. rvsticu), flowering top. 

 B, flower, entire. CV same, cut vertically. D, Virginia tobacco (A'. 

 Tabacum), flowering top. E, flower. F, pod, opening for discharge of 

 •seeds. G, seed, if , same, cut vertically. ./, stigma, (v. Wcttstein.) — 

 Turkish tobacco, an annual growing about 1 m. tall; leaves glutinous; 

 flowers yellowish or greenish; fruit dry. Native home, South America 

 and Mexico. — Virginia tobacco similar to the Turkish liut growing 

 2 in. tall; flowers rose or purplish. Native home. South America. 



alkaloid, nicotine (Ch.HhN.j), one of the most virulent of 

 poisons. A single drop of ]iure nicotine will kill a dog. 

 Smaller animals are killed by a whiff of its vapor. A child 

 of eight died from an ai^jjlication to the scalp of juice ex- 

 pressed from fre.sh tobacco leaves. Medicinally, tobacco is 

 used mainly for its (piieting effect in certain nervous affec- 

 tions, but it is now rai'cly i)rescrib(Hl. No other phuiit, how- 

 ever, is s(] widely used as an indulgence. It is estimated that 



