4 The Soverane Herbe 



matters of great moment and perplexity were brought 

 for counsel. Like the priestess of the Delphic oracle, 

 the medicine-man brooded over the fire, inspiring 

 the smoke of the tobacco-sacrifice in order to obtain 

 the help of the divine. Awaking from the stupor, he 

 related what the gods had vouchsafed to tell him for 

 the guidance of men. This was the inspiration of 

 tobacco, literally and metaphorically. 



The medicine-man was the physician as well as 

 the prophet of the tribe. To him came the sick 

 and injured, and for all the ills to which flesh is 

 heir he prescribed the smoke of the holy herb — i.e., 

 the care of the gods. The sick man was set to 

 inhale the smoke of tobacco until he was intoxicated 

 with it. Benzoni, who witnessed this in Central 

 America, records that this was the chief method 

 of curing sickness. 'On returning to his senses 

 the sick man told a thousand stories of his having 

 been at the council of the gods and other high 

 visions.' 



The primitive manner of the inspiration of the 

 tobacco smoke was to brood over the burning leaves 

 as the Delphic priestess of Apollo was inspired by 

 the fumes of smouldering herbs over which she sat. 

 This clumsy method involved the fumigation of the 

 whole head with the inhalation of the minimum 

 quantity of the prophetic smoke. The next and 

 most obvious step would be the use of a hollow 

 reed or tube which, thrust into the burning tobacco 

 incense, enabled the prophet or patient to inhale the 

 smoke without fumigating his eyes or head. Thus 

 came the first pipe. 



