A Treatise on Tobacco, Tea, Coffee, and Chocolate. Simon Paulli
says he, is more worthy in itself, nor more becoming the Dignity of a free-born Soul, than not, like the Cattle, implicitly to follow the Van of the Flock, going, not whither we ought to go, but whither they go before us. But nothing involves us in more terrible Misfortunes, than our judging of Things by Fame and Report, esteeming those Things best, which are most universally assented to, and approved, as we find in numberless Instances. We neither live agreeably to the Dictates of Reason, nor in a Manner that is uniform and consistent with itself: Hence it is, that such Numbers of Individuals fall, as it were, upon others. In a large and crowded Army, none falls without drawing another along with him, and the foremost prove fatal to those who succeed them. The like happens in every Part and Circumstance of human Life; for it is the universal Practice to impose upon our own Reasons, and, by that Means prove the Cause of Errors to others." It is therefore to be lamented, that we Europeans should thus brutally follow the Custom of the Barbarians, without listening to Reason, in which we so far excel them, since, to use the Expressions of Salust, "They are addicted to Intemperance and Sleep, so rude and uncultivated, that they seem to lead the Life of Brutes, rather than that of Men, since they indulge themselves in Voluptuousness, whilst their Souls are a Burthen to them." In a word, they live in a no less brutal Manner, than the Inhabitants of the Main Land of Africa, who, according to Hippocrates, in Lib. de Morbo sacra, "lie upon Goat-Skins, and eat Goat's Flesh, without any Bed-Cloths, or Garments, or Shoes, except what are made of Goat-Skins." The Americans are still worse, since they feed upon human Flesh, have nothing to cover them, and pass their Time in desart Places, and lurking Holes. Since, therefore, the Climate, Soil, and Non-Naturals of the Americans, are widely different from those of the Europeans, it is highly reasonable, that we should neither admit, nor tolerate, the continual and habitual Use of Tobacco in Europe.
Cornelius Agrippa, in Lib. de Vanitat. Scient. Cap. 84. seems, with a good deal of Reason, to think, "That it would greatly contribute, not only to the Health of Mankind, but also to the Interests of particular States, to prohibit the Importation of foreign and exotic Drugs, which are often counterfeited, or adulterated, by those who deal in them, to the great Detriment of the State." No less salutary and reasonable is that Law enacted at Rome by Nero, which runs in the following Tenor: "Apothecaries are hereby injoined, to use no other Medicines, but those found in Italy, since these are not only better suited and adopted to the Constitutions of Romans, but may also be had far fresher, more genuine, and with less Difficulty, Expences, and Danger, than foreign Medicines, the most of which are justly to be suspected, as sophisticated, spurious, spoiled in the Ship, corrupted by Age, or not collected at due Seasons, or in proper Places." Since the Diseases described by the Antients, sometimes seize the Europeans, though with new and uncommon Symptoms; and since new Diseases also appear in Europe, I think it is not to be doubted, but the Meats, Fruits, and other Delicacies, sent from Asia, Africa, and America, into Europe, are, in some Measure, the Sources of our Calamities.
But, without any farther Digression, I shall confine myself to the Abuse of Tobacco. That Tobacco, when used with Prudence and Propriety, is a salutary Medicine, I do not deny; since I myself use it with great Advantage in the Spring and Autumn, at which Seasons I am afflicted with catarrhous Defluxions. Most People, when only seized with a gentle Cough, are so cautious, as not to venture upon a small Dose of the Syrup of Violets, or Liquorice, without consulting their Physicians, Friends, and Nurses; but vast Numbers of the Europeans, without any Advice, greatly incommode and disturb the Brain, the Seat of their Reason, by using the highly penetrating Smoak of Tobacco, in the Morning and Evening, in the Night as well as the Day, and in all States and Constitutions of the Weather, calm and serene, as well as cloudy and over-cast. Let us therefore lay aside this barbarous Custom, so fatal and prejudicial to Health.
Besides, it is probable, that the crafty Americans, sensible of the vast Quantity of Tobacco yearly imported into Europe, may, for the Sake of Gain, impose upon us; for it is certain, that our own Merchants, influenced by a base and sordid Principle of Avarice, have long ago found Methods of adulterating Tobacco by Means of Brine, Lemons, Vinegar, Wine, and Euphorbium. But with respect to these Frauds, the Reader may consult Neander in his Tabacologia. Besides, it is hardly credible, that the Roaps brought from America, under the Name of Tobacco, consist intirely of good and sound Tobacco Leaves: For almost every one knows, that the Marks of the Goodness of Tobacco, whether drawn from the Colour, Smell, Taste, or Weight, vary very greatly among the Europeans, who, to their Disgrace be it said, have learned to hang their Tobacco, when corrupted, insipid, or light, in Houses of Office, or Vaults, in order to be rendered more acrid and ponderous by the volatile Salts of human Urine and Excrements, under a specious Pretence, that these Salts render it beneficial and salutary, by cleansing the Head; which, they say, is highly beneficial to Persons who drink much. But this is certainly an improper and prejudicial Method of treating the Head, and evacuating its Excrements; concerning the copious Production of which, by means of the corrupted Temperature of the Brain in Persons who daily smoak Tobacco, we shall afterwards treat.
Having premised these Things, we now come to decide a Question lately begun to be agitated, namely, Whether Snuffing or Smoaking is the more innocent and safe Custom? I affirm, then, that both are generally pernicious, and none of them to be recommended to any one without great Caution and Deliberation: Though I remember I was formerly a Smoaker of Tobacco, yet, I am of Opinion, that Snuffing is a less injurious and hurtful Practice. Some are of Opinion, that by the constant Use of Snuff, the Sight is rendered more clear and penetrating; but with how great Danger this Practice is accompanied, is sufficiently confirmed by Adrianus Spigelius, in Corp. human. Fabr. Lib. 7. Cap. 2. where he proposes a Problem, together with its Answer, in the following Words: "What is the Cause, why many Persons, by often repeated Sternutations, especially when industriously excited, suddenly become blind? This happens, either because the Ramifications of the caroted Arteries, which are so near the Optic Nerves as to touch them, are so filled, as to compress them; or, because a large Quantity of pituitous Humours is conveyed from the Brain to the Optic Nerves, which are thereby obstructed. When the Disorder arose from the former of these Causes, I have seen the Patients cured by a Seton; but, when it proceeded from the latter, I never remember to have seen it cured." Joh. Chrysostomus Magnenus, in Exercitat. 8. de Tabaco. §. 1. affirms, "that by violent Sternutation, some Persons have died; since by it the Head has been so strongly agitated, as by the Effort to burst the Meninges, and relax the Compages of the Brain." And this Opinion he confirms by the Example of a certain Baker, mentioned by Famianus Strada, "who, when he had twenty-four Sternutations immediately succeeding each other, died of the twenty-fifth, by the violent Shock, of which the Arteries of the Brain, and Membranes surrounding it, were broken." The same Author, in Sect. 4. of the last-cited Chapter, affirms, "That he saw a certain Man, who by the excessive Use of Snuff, had the chrystaline Humours of his Eyes corrugated, so that all Objects seemed to be in a Kind of fluctuating Motion before him."
If it should be objected, that such Accidents are rare; I answer, that though they are rare, yet they are not impossible; and, what has happened to some, may also be the Fate of others. Though, therefore, the Falx of the Dura Mater, and the Torcular of Herophilus, the fatal Seat of an Apoplexy, are not forthwith so disordered as to yawn by Snuffing, yet the Interests of the Five Senses are but ill consulted, by often drawing from the Brain with Snuff, what we call Snot or Mucus, which is evacuated through the Nose; or rather, according to Galen, and other Anatomists, through the Os Ethmoides, which is the Organ of Smell, but not at all destined for eliminating the Excretions of the Brain. Thus Persons who use Snuff to Excess, instead of bettering, rather impair their Sight, and for their Pains generally lose the Sense of Smelling.
As the Person who, for his Crimes, has lost his Ears, is looked upon with Infamy; what better Treatment does he deserve, who, either through a Contempt of Medicine, or an obstinate Fondness to gratify his own Inclinations, either impairs or destroys those Senses, which indulgent Heaven has bestowed upon him for so noble Purposes! With respect to Instances of this Misfortune, and the Reasons why it happens, Magnenus in Tr. de Abusu Tabaci, Exercitat. 6. Sect. 15. speaks in the following Manner: "The Sense of Smelling, as I have been told by many, who have either snuffed or smoaked to Excess, is abolished by