TOBACCO. 



has fo often the power of exciting the adlivlty of the conta- 

 gion. The antiloimic powers of tobacco are therefore on , 

 the fame footing with thofe of wine, brandy, and opium. 



The third mode of ufing tobacco is that of chewing it, 

 when it (hews its narcotic quaUties as ftroiigly as in any otlier 

 way of applying it ; though the naufeous tafte of it com- 

 monly prevents its being carried far in the firft praftice. 

 When the praftice, however, is continued, as it is very dif- 

 ficult to avoid fomc part of it diffolved in tlie faliva from 

 going down into the ftomach, fo this, with the naufea ex- 

 cited by the tafte, makes vomiting more readily occafioned 

 by this than the other modes of applying it. They are the 

 ftrong, and even difagreeable impreffions repeated, that give 

 the moft durable and tenacious habits ; and therefore the 

 chewing of tobacco is apt to become one of thefe : and it is 

 therefore in this w.Hy that it is ready to be carried to the 

 greateft excefs, and to flicw all the effefts of the frequent 

 and large ufe of narcotics. As it conimonly produces a 

 confidorable evacuation from the mouth and fauces, fo it is 

 the moft powerful in relieving the rheumatic affeftion of 

 tooth-ache. This praftice is alfo the occafion of the greateft 

 wafte of faliva ; and the effofts of this in weakening digef- 

 tion, and perhaps from thence efpccially, its noted effedi of 

 producing emaciation, may appear. 



The eSefts already recited of the different modes of em- 

 ploying tobacco depend efpecially upon its narcotic power, 

 and certain circumftanccs accidentallv attending its applica- 

 tion to the nofe and mouth : but as we have obferved before, 

 that befide its narcotic, it poftl-ftes alfo a ftimulant power, 

 particularly with refpcdt to the alimentary canal : by this it 

 is frequently employed as a medicine for exciting either vo- 

 miting or purging, which it does as it happens to be more 

 immediately applied to the ftomach or to the inteftines. 



An infulion of from half a drachm to a drachm of the 

 dried leaves, or of thefe as they are commonly prepared for 

 chewing, for an hour or two, in four ounces of boiling 

 water, affords an emetic which has been employed by fome 

 praftitioners, but more commonly by the vulgar only. As 

 it has no peculiar qualities as an emetic, and its operation 

 is commonly attended with fevere ficknefs, it has not been, 

 nor is it likely ever to come into common praftice with 

 phyficians. 



By long boiling in water, its deleterious power is faid to 

 be abated, and at length deftroyed : an extract made by 

 long coftion, is recommended by Stahl and other German 

 phyficians, as the moft effeftual and fafe aperient, detergent, 

 expeftorant, diuretic, &c.; but the medicine muft neceflarily 

 be precarious in ftrength, and has never come into ufe among 

 us. Lewis Mat. Med. 



It is more commonly employed as a purgative in glyfters ; 

 and, as generally very effeftual, it is employed in all cafes of 

 moreobftinate coftivenefs ; and its powers have been celebrated 

 by many authors. Dr. Cullen lias known it to be in frequent 

 ufe witli fome praditioners : and he adds, it is indeed a very 

 effedlual medicine, but attended with this inconvenience, 

 that when the dofe happens to be in any excefs, it occafions 

 fevere ficknefs at the ftomach, and it has been known to fre- 

 quently occafion vomiting. 



A ftrong decoftion of tobacco, with proper carminatives 

 and cathartics, given glyfter-wife, fometimes proves of good 

 effeft in what is ufually called the ftone colic, and alfo in the 

 iliac paflion. 



It is well known, that in eafes of obftinate coftivenefs, in 

 ileus and incarcerated hernia, the fmoke of burning tobacco 

 has been thrown into the anus with great advantage. The 

 fmoke operates here by the fame qualities that are in the in- 

 fufions of it above-mentioned : but as the fmoke reaches 

 • Vol, XXXV. 



much farther into the inteftines than injeftionscan commonly 

 do, it is thereby applied to a larger furface, and may there- 

 fore be a more powerful medicine than the infufions. In fe- 

 veral inftances, however, fays Dr. Cullen, I have been dif- 

 appointed of its effefts, and liave been obliged to have rc- 

 courfe to other means. 



Bates and Fuller give fome receipts, in which tobacco is 

 an ingredient, with mighty encomiums, in afthmatic cafes. 



Hoffman obferves, that liorfes have been often relieved by 

 this remedy, but in iiuman fubjedls it has been rarely tried ; 

 and iays he has known fome of the common people, wiio la- 

 boured under excruciating pains of the inteftines, freed in an 

 inftant from all pain by fwallowing the fmoke. Both the de- 

 coftion and the fmoke iiave not unfrequently been injefted in 

 cafes of incarcerated hernia-, and often with fuccefs. The 

 fmoke thus applied is recommended as one of the principal 

 means for the revival of perfons apparently dead from 

 drowning or other fudden caufes ; but fome fufpeft the nar- 

 cotic power of tobacco as unfavourable in thefe cafes. 



The infufion of tobacco, when it is carried into tiie blood- 

 veffels, has fometimes iliewn its ftimulant powers exerted in 

 tlie kidneys ; and very lately we have had it recommended to 

 us as a powerful diuretic of great fervice in dropfy. Upon 

 the faith of thefe recommendations we have now employed 

 this remedy in various cafes of dropfy, but with very little 

 fuccefs. From tlie fmall dofes that are proper to begin with, 

 we have hardly obferved any diuretic cffefts ; and though 

 from larger dofes they have in fomc meafure appeared, we 

 have feldom found them confiderable : and when, to obtain 

 thefe in a greater degree, we have gone on increafing the 

 dofes, we have been conftantly reftrained by the fevere fick- 

 nefs at ftomach, and even vomiting, which they occafioned : 

 fo that we have not yet learned the adminiftration of this 

 remedy, lo as to render it a certain or convenient remedy in 

 any cafes of dropfy. 



Tobacco is fometimes employed externally in unguents 

 and lotions, for cleanfing foul ulcers, deftroying cutaneous 

 infefts, and other like purpofes : it appears to be deftruc- 

 tive to almoft all kinds of infefts, to thofe produced on 

 vegetables as well as on animals. Lewis. 



A ftrong decoftion of the ftalks, with fliarp-pointed 

 dock, and alum, is faid to be of good fervice, ufed exter- 

 nally, in cutaneous diftempers, efpecially the itch : fome 

 boil them for that purpofe in urine. The fame decoftion i$ 

 faid to be infallible in curing the mange in dogs. 



Tobacco beat into a mafh with vinegar or brandy, and 

 laid on the ftomach, has fometimes good effefts in removing 

 hard tumours of the hypochondria. We have the liiftory of 

 two cures made by fuch applications in the Med. Eff. 

 Edinb. vol. ii. p. 41. 



The juice of this plant is faid to be good againft ulcers 

 and mortificajjons. Boyle's Works, Abr. vol. i. p. 56. 



Some caution, however, Dr. Lewis obferves, is requifite 

 even in the external ufes of tobacco, particularly in folutions 

 of continuity : there are inftances of its being thus tranl- 

 mitted into the blood, fo as to produces violent effefts. 



A drop or two of the chemical oil of tobacco being put 

 on the tongue of a cat, produces violent convulfions, and 

 death itfelf in the fpace of a minute ; yet the fame oil ufed 

 in lint, and applied to tlie tcetli, has been found of fervice 

 in the tooth-ache ; though it muft be to thofe that have been 

 ufed to the taking of tobacco, otherwife great ficknefs, 

 retching, vomiting, &c. happen ; and even in no cafe is the 

 internal ufe of it warranted by ordinary praftice. See ex 

 periments on the effefts of oil of tobacco on pigeons, hj 

 M. Fontana, in which he found vomiting to be a conftant 

 effedl of this poifon, as he calls it, and the lofs of motioi* 

 5 D i» 



