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Materia Mjedica.

part II.

long coction of tobacco with water; yet in distillation withether, water, or alcohol, no oil comes over. By infusion,however, it yields its active principles to both these fluids.Its deflagration shows the presence of nitrate of potash;and Bouillon la Grange discovered muriate of potashin its inspissated juice. 1 According to Vauquelin, tobaccoappears to contain albumen or gluten, superniuriate of lime,acetic acid, nitrate and muriate of potash, muriate of am-monia, a red matter, soluble in alcohol and water, a greenfecula, and a peculiar substance, on which the properties ofthe plant appear to depend, and which has been thereforenamed nicotin. l

Medical properties and uses. — Tobacco is narcotic, sedative,emetic, diuretic, cathartic, and errhine, whether it be takeninto the stomach, or externally applied. The three first men-tioned properties are sufficiently obvious, even from the effectswhich smoking or chewing it produce on persons unaccus-tomed to its use. s These are, very severe sickness, headach,extreme debility, cold sweats, and sometimes, even convul-sions. The production of such a state of the habit, however,being useful for relieving violent spasmodic constriction, to-bacco is advantageously employed in obstinate constipation,ileus, suppression of urine, and incarcerated hernia, when otherremedies fail of affording relief. The smoke is either throwninto the rectum by means of a pair of bellows of a peculiarconstruction, or an infusion of the leaves is exhibited in theform of enema. 4 From its narcotic power also, the smokingor chewing tobacco has been found useful in allaying the painof toothach; and smoking it has been recommended, and insome instances found useful in shortening, and rendering

shock : with a convulsive motion that was momentary, the snake half untwisted itself,and never stirred more; and the muscles were so contracted, that the whole animalfelt hard and rigid, as if dried in the sun." Travels in Africa, p. 268.

1 Journal de Physique, xxxix. 193.

* This substance is colourless, acrid, has the odour of tobacco, and like it occasionsviolent sneezing. It is volatile, poisonous, and produces colourless solutions withalcohol and water, from which it is thrown down by tincture of nut-galls. Vaucyuelinregards it as approaching the volatile oils in its properties. Vide Ann. de Chimie.tome Ixxi. p. 139.

3 The custom of smoking tobacco was introduced into England by Sir Walter Ra-leigh; and was at one time extremely prevalent, but is now confined chiefly to thelower class of the people. In some parts of Europe, however, it is still regarded as thegreatest solace and pleasure of the luxurious. It is a curious fact, that in England anedict was published against its use ; that Urban the viiith anathematised those who usedit in churches; and in Constantinople, where its use is now so general, the custom was inthe beginning of the 17th century thought so ridiculous and hurtful, that a Turk foundsmoking was conducted in ridicule through the streets with a pipe transfixed throughhis nose.

4 The native doctors in India apply the leaves to the orifice of the anus. Vide Ains-fie's Mat. Med, of Hindasldny 4to. p. 48.