OCR Text |
Show 196 TOBACCO. TOBACCO. Ser Scan eenereen awn ae 1a ' o ee _ . Tae Fake. upon an accidental interruption of snufling for some days these pains did not occur, but upon a return to snufling the pains also recurred; and this alternation of pains of the stomachand of snuffing having occurred again, the snuff was entirelylaidaside, and the pains did not occur for many months after, nor, so far as I know, for the rest of life. A special effect of snufling is its exciting a considerable discharge of mucus from the nose; and there have been several in- stances of headachs, toothachs, and ophthalmias relieved by this means: andthis is to be particularly remarked, that when this discharge of mucus is considerable, the ceasing or suppression of it, by abstaining from snuff, is ready to occasion the very dito ders of headach, toothach, and ophthalmia, which it had formerlyrelieved. Anothereffect of snuffing to be taken notice of is, that as a part of the snuff is often carried back into the fances, soa part of this is often carried down into the stomach, andthen more certainly produces the dyspeptic symptoms mentioned. These are the considerations that relate to snuffing, and some of them will readily apply to the other modes of using this drug. Smoking, whenfirst practised, shows very strongly the narcotic, vomiting, and even purging powers of tobacco, andit is very often useful as an anodyne; but by repetition these effects disappear, or only show themselyes when the quantity smoked is beyond what habit had before admitted of ; and even in per- 197 that liquid so necessary in the business of.digestion ; and both by this waste and by the narcotic power at the same time applied, the tone of the stomachis often weakened, and every kindof tlyspeptic symptoms is produced. ‘Though in smoking a great part of the smoke is again blownont of the mouth, still a part of it must necessarily pass into the lungs, andits narcotic power applied there often relieves spasmodic asthma ; andbyits stimulant power it there also sometimes promotes expectoration, and proves useful in the catarrhal orpituitous difficulty ef breathing. Smoking has been frequently mentioned as a means of guarding men against contagion. In the case ofthe plague, the testi- mony of _Diemerbrock is very strong; but Rivinus and others give us manyfacts which contradict this: and Chenot gives a remarkable instance of its inutility. We cannot, indeed, suppose that tobacco contains an antidote of any contagion, orthat in general it has any antiseptic power; and therefore we cannot allow that it has any special use in this case: but it is very probable that this and other narcotics, by diminishing sensibility, may render men less liable to contagion, and by rendering the mind less active and anxious it may also render menlessliable to fear, which has so often the powerof exciting the activity of the contagion. The antiloimic powers of tobaccoare therefore on the same footing with those of wine, brandy, and opium. The third modeof using tobaccois that of chewing it, when it shows its narcotic qualities as strongly as in any other way of sons much accustomedtoit, it may be carried so far as to. prove a mortal poison. From much smoking all the same effects may applying it; though the nauseous tasteofit commonly prevents arise which we said might arise from excess in snuffing. Withrespect to the evacuation of mucus which is produced however,is continued, as it is verydifficult to avoid some part of its being carried far in the first practice. When the practice, by snuffing, there are analogous effects produced by smoking, it dissolved in the saliva from going downinto the stomach, so which commonly stimulates the mucous follicles of the mouth this, with the nausea excited by the taste, makes vomiting more and fauces, and particularly the excretories of the salivary glands. By the evacuation from both sources, with the concurrence of the narcotic power, the toothachis often greatly relieved by it; but we have not found the smoking relieve head- achs and ophthalmias so much as snuffing often does. Sometimes smoking dries the mouth and fauces, and occasions ademand for drink ; but, as commonlythe stimulus it applies to the mucous follicles and salivary glands draws forth theirliquids, it eccasions on the other hand a frequent spitting. So far as this is of the proper saliva, it occasions a waste of teadily occasioned by this than the other modes of applying it. They are the strong, and even disagreeable impressions repeated, that give the most durable and tenacious habits, and therefore the chewing of tobacco is apt to become one of these; andit is therefore in this waythat it is ready to be carriedto the greatest excess, and to showall the effects of the frequent and large use ofnarcotics. Asit commonly produces a considerable evacua- tion from the mouth and fauces, so it is the most pewerful in relieving the rheumatic affection of toothach. This practiceis also the occasion of the greatest waste of saliva; and theeffects of this in weakening digestion, and perhaps from thence especially, its noted effect of producing emaciation, may appear. |