The Chancellor of the Exchequer on the consumption of tobacco—His condemnation of the smoking habit by those who have enough to eat—Board of Trade returns—Statistics on the past and present rate of consumption per head of population in England and other countries—The quantity of tobacco consumed compared with the average consumption of wheat and the money value of each—The use made of cast-away cigar-ends—The opinions of Michael Drayton and Robert Burton—Case against youths smoking—The Cuban leaf—The effects of smoking on the character of the Turks—Mr. E. W. Lane on the Oriental method of smoking—Clarendon’s views on tobacco’s influence in diplomacy—The three kinds of tobacco used in commerce—Botanical description—The chemist’s account of the composition of the weed—Shakespeare’s ‘hebenon’—Sir B. W. Richardson’s experiments with the smoke of tobacco—Tobacco innoxious compared with alcohol—Prof. Johnston’s experiments and observations—Observed effects on German thinkers—Pre-eminent among great smokers stand Hobbes, Newton, Parr, Aldrich, Hall, Carlyle and Tennyson—Experience the true guide. CHAPTER V 73 THE USE AND ABUSE OF TOBACCO Differences of temperament interfere with general enjoyment of the weed—Ground upon which all can agree—Its germicidal action demonstrated in laboratory experiments—Faith of our forefathers in tobacco’s all-healing properties—Particularly as a destroyer of insect life on plants and animals—Liebault’s account of Nicot’s introduction of tobacco into France and experiments on old sores and wounds—Fame of throughout Portugal, France—Catherine de Medici plants seeds of in her garden—George Buchanan’s distrust of anything which bears her name—Italy’s first instalment of the weed received from Spain—Spenser in the Faërie Queene speaks of ‘divine tobacco’—William Lyly calls it the ‘holy herb nicotian’—Henry Buttes on tobacco as a dietetic—Dr. Gardiner describes its use in medicine—Harleian Miscellany on tobacco—Dr. Thorius’s Hymnus Tabac—Pepys’ experience with tobacco—Dr. Willis on its prophylactic effects in the plague of 1666—Dr. Diemerbroeck finds it kills contagion during plague in Holland 1635-6—Coleridge in Cologne—Medical profession’s changed attitude towards tobacco—Mr. Solly, of St. Thomas’s Hospital, proclaims a crusade against smoking—Dr. Murray at a later date speaks highly in its favour from army experience—Private McCarthy’s quiet pipe in the hospital yard—Soldiers’ experiences in South Africa—Government’s changing practices in regard to contraband tobacco—Soldiers sent out in troop-ships have first claim. CHAPTER VI 95 ON THE ANTIQUITY OF TOBACCO-SMOKING