Nicotiana; Or, The Smoker's and Snuff-Taker's CompanionMeller, Henry James
History
Nicotiana; Or, The Smoker's and Snuff-Taker's Companion
Meller, Henry James
Smoking; Tobacco -- Anecdotes; Tobacco -- History
a little poisonous, or so, and the air of the town notoriously unhealthy.
By the same silly fear, too, the gourmand must abstain from the pleasures
of the table,--fashionables from late hours, and the army and navy from
hard drinking; in all of which the aforesaid, like true spirits,
exclusively delight and take a pride; doubtless, inspired in seeking to
indulge in what our own bard, Byron, says:
"aught that gave,
Hope of a pleasure, or peril of a grave."
An evident proof, if any be wanting, that beings of a pacific disposition
are as careless of facing death as those who have served an apprenticeship
to it. Once more, taking the most virulent of the medical enemies of
smoking, on their own assertions, and supposing people are killed outright
by smoking, why should this deter others from practising it? What is more
common, than that each year presents us with numerous deaths in every
department of recreation, whether riding, sailing, shooting or bathing;
and yet we should be surprised to learn that ever it deterred others from
following similar pursuits; then, wherefore, on their own shewing, should
the harmless happy recreation (that to the poor comprehends all the above
amusements) be excepted?--Why, indeed?--O! ye sons of the 'healing art,'
we throw reason away upon ye, and _we_ have too much reason to fear that
the true lights of science are lost to ye for ever, when ye attack that
which is so beneficial to man.
The next, and in fact the most excusable of the triumvirate confederacy
against smoking and snuff-taking, the former more particularly, that now
calls for our attention, are the gentlemen of weak palates. These, first
caught by the look of the thing, from perceiving the mild serenity ever
attendant upon a smoker, and marking the sententious discourse of wisdom
flowing like honey from his lips, have essayed the practice, without
effect. At length, finding their nerves could never sustain the
delightful fumes, without certain inward admonitions, that were not to be
neglected or trifled with, they gave up all thoughts of that, which seemed
to make so many happy. Now, nothing is more common in metaphysics, than to
know that when a fancy or love is not returned by the object of affection,
it generally turns into as great a hatred. Nothing, therefore, is more
easily exemplified than the violence of the dislike expressed by this
order of 'tobacco's foemen.' Although the efforts of the above, with the
exception of an occasional treatise against the pernicious effects of
tobacco from the medical department, are confined to oral discussion of
the subject; the genial herb has enemies of a more aspiring and determined
cast. These parties are not contented with throwing their antipathies on
the sympathy of their own friends, but they must even occasionally cast
them upon the public in the awful form of a printed sheet. Some of these,
though written in a very grave style, are really amusing, and we shall
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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