part ii. Materia Medica. — Nicotiana Tabacitm.

403

long coction of tobacco with water; yet in distillation with

ether, water, or alcohol, no oil comes over. By infusion,

however, it yields ite active principles to both these fluids.

Its deflagration shows the presence of nitrate of potass;

and Bouillon la Grange discovered muriate of potass in its

inspissated juice. 1 According to Vauquelin, tobacco appears

to contain albumen or gluten, supermuriate of lime, acetic acid,

nitrate and muriate of potass, muriate of ammonia, a red

matter soluble in alcohol and water, a green fecula, and a

peculiar substance, on which the properties of the plant

appear to depend, and which has been therefore named ?ii-

cotin.^

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. 3 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,iJeus, 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 toothacii; and smoking it has been recommended, anil in

1 Journal de Physique, xxxix. 193.

2 This substance is colourless, acrid, has the odour of tobacco, and like it occa-sions violent sneezing. It is volatile, poisonous, and produces colourless solutionswith alcohol and water, from which it is thrown down by tincture of nut-galls.Vauquelin regards it as approaching the volatile oils in its properties. Vide Ann.de Chimie. tomclxxi. p. 1S9.

5 The custom of smoking tobacco was introduced into England by Sir WalterRaleigh ; and was at one time extremely prevalent, but is now confined cliiefly tothe lower class of the people. In some parts of Europe, however, it is still re-garded as the greatest solace and pleasure of the luxurious. It is a curious fact,that in England an edict was published against its use, the reason of which wasprobably the apprehension thus stated by Camden — " Anglorum corpora in barba-rorum naturam degenerasse, quum iidem ac barbari delectentur." Annul, Eliz,p. 143. Urban VIII. anathematized those who used it in churches; and inConstantinople, where its use is now so general, the custom was in the beginning ofthe 17th century thought so ridiculous and hurtful, that a Turk found smoking wasconducted in ridicule through the streets with a pipe transfixed through his nose.Tobacco, wJjich has been introduced into the Sandwich Islands by Europeans, " isnow," says Kotzebue, (vide Voyage of Discovery) " so generally used, that young chil ■dren smoke before they learn to walk, and grown up people have carried it to suchan excess, that they have fallen down senseless, and often died in consequence."

4 The native doctors in India apply the leaves to the orifice of the anus. VideAinslie's Mat, Med. nf Hindostan, 4to. p. 48.

D D 2