A Treatise on Tobacco, Tea, Coffee, and Chocolate. Simon Paulli
a Method of subduing the Force of the Poison by Means of Tobacco.
"A Company of Cannibals made an At-tack upon a Body of Indians and Spaniards, some of whom were killed and others wounded with their poisoned Darts. But as those who survived had no Sublimate, they were advised by a certain Indian to pour the expressed Juice of Tobacco into their Wounds, and then apply the triturated Leaves of the same Plant to them, by which Means their Pains were forthwith alleviated, the Symptoms checked, the Force of the Poison subdued, and the Wounds cured. This Accident laid a Foundation for the subsequent Use of Tobacco against Poisons; and the King of Spain, in order to be convinced of its Efficacy, ordered a Wound to be made in the Throat of a Dog, and to be anointed with the Poison used by Hunters; soon after which a large Quantity of the Juice of Tobacco was poured into the Wound, and the triturated Leaves of the Plant applied to it, by which Means the Dog was effectually secured against the Symptoms usually produced by Poisons.
"Tobacco Leaves laid upon pestilential and malignant Carbuncles induce an Eschar, and induce a Cure; nor are they a less present efficacious Remedy against the Bites of poisonous Animals.
"The Leaves, when laid upon recent Wounds, immediately stop the Hæmorrhage, and produce a Conglutination; but if they are large, they ought to be previously washed with Wine, their Lips brought into Contact, and sprinkled with the Juice of the Leaves, after which the triturated Leaves are to be secured upon the Wound: The same Measures are to be taken the next and subsequent Days, and a proper Regimen observed.
"An Instillation of the Juice, and an Application of the triturated Leaves deterge, cure, and cicatrise old Ulcers and Gangrenes; provided due Evacuations are made, a sufficient Quantity of Blood, if necessary, is taken away, and a proper Regimen observed.
"By this Means Ulcers are not only cured in Men, but also in Animals. For through all the Indies, Cows, Sheep, and other Animals, are much subject to Ulcers, which, on Account of the excessive Humidity of the Climate, easily become putrid, and full of Worms. In these Ulcers it was sometimes customary to sprinkle Sublimate, the Inhabitants being destitute of better Remedies. But as this Medicine is dear in that Part of the World, what was used for the Cure of these Ulcers generally cost more than the Animal was worth. For this Reason the Inhabitants, conscious of the Efficacy of Tobacco on Mankind, transferred its Use to the putrid, fetid, and wormy Ulcers of Animals; and accordingly found that its Juice instilled into them, not only killed the Worms, but also cleansed the Ulcers, and induced a Cicatrix. Tobacco is also good against the Gallings of Cattle, for which Reason the Indians always carry the Powder of it about with them.
"I knew a certain Person afflicted with Ulcers of the Nostrils, which discharged a seemingly contagious Sanies. By my Advice he dropped the Juice of Tobacco into them; after the second Instillation a large Number of Worms fell away; then a smaller Quantity and after a few Days the Ulcers were cured, though the Parts eroded were not restored. The rubbing Ring-worms and Scall'd Heads with Tobacco Leaves is also a beneficial Practice.
"Tobacco is the celebrated Plant used by the Indian Priests before they give their Responses; for it is customary among the Indians to consult the Priests with respect to the Event of Wars, and other Affairs of Importance. Upon such Occasions, the Priest consulted, burnt dry Tobacco Leaves, received the Smoak of them into his Mouth through a small Tube contrived for that Purpose, then dropt down as it were in an Extasy, lay totally destitute of Motion, and remained in that Condition for some Time. When the Fumes of the Tobacco were discussed, he returned to himself, told that he had communicated the Affair to his Demon, and gave such ambiguous Responses, that, whatever the Event should be, the superstitious Crowd might be easily perswaded, that he had prophesied rightly. Thus the credulous Barbarians are miserably hood-wink'd by the impious and fraudulent Stratagems of their Priests.
"The common People among the Indians also receive the Smoak of Tobacco into their Mouths and Nostrils, when they want either to be transported with pleasant Dreams, or to predict the Events of their Affairs from the Occurrences which happen to them during Sleep; for as the grand Impostor, the Devil, knows the Virtues of Herbs, he has taught them the Qualities of Tobacco, in order to deceive them by means of these Dreams.
"Various Plants, when chewed, or taken internally, are observed to excite false and delusory Representations and Ideas of Objects. Thus Dioscorides, in Cap. de Solano Maniaco, seu Furioso, tells us, that a Dram of the Root of this Plant, drank in Wine, produces false, tho' not unpleasant Representations; that double the Quantity produces an Alienation of Mind, which lasts for three Days; and that four Times the Quantity proves mortal. It is also reported, that if a Person, when he is going to sleep, eats Aniseeds, they excite pleasant and agreeable Dreams; whereas, the eating of Horse-Raddish procures those of a turbulent and ungrateful Kind.
"Garcias ab Orta informs us, that the Juice of a certain Plant called Bangue, mixed with some other Juices, produces Alienation of Mind, excites Dreams, and frees the Mind from all Anxiety and Uneasiness: The like Effects are brought about by Opium, which is much used by the East-Indians, and concerning which Garcias has treated very largely.
"The Indians also, when fatigued by carrying Burdens, or by any other violent Exercise, smoak Tobacco, by which Means they become as it were stupid, and fall asleep; but when they awake, they find themselves refreshed, and their Strength repaired. The Ethiopians brought thither as Slaves, following the Example of the Natives, smoak Tobacco too frequently, for which their Masters chastise them severely, and burn their Tobacco, in order to deprive them of an Opportunity of using it, which, however, they continue to do secretly and in private.
"Tobacco is also used by the Indians in order to allay Hunger and Thirst; for they calcine some Shells of River-Snails, and by Trituration reduce them to a fine Powder, of which, and Tobacco Leaves, they take equal Parts, and chew them together till they are reduced to a Kind of Mass, which they form into Pills, larger than a Pea: These they dry in a Shade, and preserve for Use. When they intend to travel through Desarts, where they expect neither Meat nor Drink, they take a sufficient Quantity of these Pills along with them, put one between their Under-Lip and Teeth, and constantly suck the Liquor from it; so that when one is consumed, they supply its Place with another, and thus they perform a three, and sometimes a four Days Jour-ney; during which Time, they say, they neither feel the Effects of Hunger nor Thirst: The Reason of this probably is, that as they continually suck these Pills, they draw the pituitous Humours from the Brain, which being swallowed, moisten the Stomach, and allay its natural Heat, but are at last consumed by it for Want of other Aliments. Instances of a similar Nature may be observed in many Animals, which, during the whole Winter, confine themselves to their Holes without any Food; because the natural Heat of the Stomach is employed in digesting and consuming the Fat which they had gathered in the Winter."
These are all the Virtues and Qualities of Tobacco known to Monardus: But, besides this, Zacutus, in Observat. Lib. 1. de Medic. Princip. Histor. informs us, that he had often found the Juice of Tobacco effectual for the Cure of an Alopecia or Falling off of the Hairs: Nor is this to be wondered at, since, as the Medicine indicated ought to bear an Analogy to the indicating Symptoms, as Tobacco is hot and dry, resolvent, cleansing, and somewhat astringent; and as all these Qualities are, according to Galen, indicated in an Alopecia, Zacutus might succeed in the Cure of it by means of Tobacco. I remember two Girls, who being indisposed, had a Lixivium, in which dry Tobacco Leaves were macerated, prescribed for taking the Scales off their Heads; but the one was seized with a gentle Vertigo, and the other thought she perceived herself, as it were, drunk. But I mention these Accidents for the Sake of young Practitioners, without any Design to discourage them from applying Tobacco and its Preparations to other Parts of the Body; for the celebrated Hartmann seems to have thought the Essence of the green Leaves of Tobacco, obtained by Infusion in Malmsey Wine, a Specific for the Cure of the Palsey; and after a Sweat has been procured, orders the paralytic Limbs to be long rubbed with it; by which Means, he says, he has often seen them happily restored.
Though Tobacco is a valuable