Part 7

By what transformation is a plant, so deadly in its effects when first applied to the human system, afterward converted into a harmless article of diet or luxury? No substance which God has made for the common use of man, produces similar results; and if such be the fact in relation to the article in question, in this instance at least the order of nature is reversed, so that what in its nature is poisonous, becomes by habit nutritious and salutary. If this be correct reasoning--farewell to the success of temperance efforts! For Rum, after all, may be convenient if not necessary, because its effects are not in every instance immediately fatal; and because some, by dint of habit, can sustain with slight apparent injury, what to others unaccustomed to it would produce instantaneous death.

The stale excuse, so often repeated by the lovers of tobacco, that they have been advised to use it by physicians, for the mitigation or removal of some bodily infirmity, may be urged with equal force and propriety by the tippler and the sot; for many, very many, have been advised by members of the Faculty, to drink the deadly draught, in some form or other, either to ease the pains of dyspepsia, to allay the horrors of tedium vitae, or to drown the anguish of a guilty conscience. And may not many of these patients say to those of the Faculty, who give advice for the use of either these stimulants: "Physician, heal thyself." Alas! when will the profession be without any who use ardent spirit or Tobacco.

In concluding, permit me to address a word to professors of religion on this subject.

In whatever concerns the cause of virtue and morality, you have a deep and an abiding interest. When Intemperance spreads abroad his murky "wings with dreadful shade contiguous," and fills the land with tears of blood--you look over this frightful aceldama and mourn at the soul-chilling spectacle. When infidelity and licentiousness exhale their pestiferous breath, to poison the moral atmosphere and destroy the rising hope of our country, by undermining the virtue of our youth; the Christian's heart is pained, and every effort is put forth to stay the march of desolation. In short, whatever tends to increase the prevalence of vice, must be witnessed by real Christians with unfeigned regret.

"Manners," says a celebrated writer, "have an influence on morals. They are the outposts of virtue." Whoever knew a rude man completely and uniformly moral? The use of tobacco, especially smoking, is offensive to those who do not practice it.

The habit of offending the senses of our friends or even strangers, by smoking in their presence, produces a want of respect for their persons; and this disposes, however remotely, to unkind treatment towards them. Hence the Methodists interdicted the common use of tobacco with that of ardent spirit, in the infancy of their society; thereby evincing a just sense of the self-denial, decency, and universal civility required by the gospel.

It is painful to witness among Christians the utter disregard of each others feelings and the rules of propriety, which have obtained in regard to these habits. They go into a friend's house, and after enjoying the hospitality of his board, sit down to smoke their pipe or cigar in his dining-room or parlor with the greatest composure; and that too, without even condescending to enquire whether it is offensive; supposing either that the appetites and senses of others are equally depraved with their own, or that politeness will prevent their raising any objection to a practice which has become nearly universal. When the enquiry is made, it is understood to be nothing more than an apology for unrestrained indulgence; and the host who should intimate that it might be offensive to some, would be looked upon as having transgressed not only the rules of modern politeness, but all the laws of hospitality.

Notwithstanding the extent to which smoking prevails, there are some in almost every family, who are affected with giddiness in the head and sickness at stomach, whenever they inhale the fumes of the pipe or cigar, particularly at or near meal time. Yet all this suffering must be endured, and the fine feelings of the family disregarded. And for what? Merely to give a Christian, and perhaps a physician or a minister of the gospel, an opportunity to gratify a vicious appetite which does him no good, and which, philosophically considered, would disgrace any man who pretends to be a gentleman.

"What reception," says Dr. Rush, "may we suppose the apostles would have met with, had they carried into the cities and houses whither they were sent, snuff-boxes, pipes, cigars, and bundles of cut, or rolls of hog or pigtail, tobacco? Such a costly and offensive apparatus for gratifying their depraved appetites would have furnished solid objections to their persons and doctrines, and would have been a just cause for the clamors and contumely, with which they were every where assailed."

And yet this very disgusting practice is considered, in these days of gospel light and civil refinement, almost as an indispensable prerequisite to fit a minister of Christ to prosecute successfully the work of a missionary in evangelizing the world. Kindly expostulate with such Christians, physicians and ministers of the gospel on the propriety of their conduct, and they meet you with a multitude of the most frivolous excuses.

One uses tobacco, as the tippler does his rum, as an antidote against a damp atmosphere. Another, to prevent the accumulation of water or bile in his stomach; and a third, as a security against the encroachment of contagious diseases.

But Howard the philanthropist assures us, that it had efficacy neither in preventing the hospital fever, nor in warding off the deadly plague. Dr. Rush says, that at Philadelphia it was equally ineffectual, in preserving its votaries from influenza and yellow fever. Excuse ourselves as we may, it is at best a disgusting habit, persisted in against the convictions of our understanding and the dictates of true politeness, and adapted only to gratify a vitiated and unnatural appetite.

It is, indeed, agreeable to observe, that the superior refinement and regard to good manners, in some parts of the old world, have at length awakened public sentiment on this subject.

We are informed by travellers, that smoking is disallowed in taverns and coffee-houses in England, and that taking snuff is becoming unfashionable and vulgar in France. How much is it to be lamented, that, while the use of tobacco is thus declining in two of the most enlightened countries in Europe, it is daily becoming more general in America! "In no one view," says Dr. Rush, "is it possible to contemplate the creature man in a more absurd and ridiculous light, than in his foolish and disgusting attachment to the poisonous weed, tobacco." Who then can witness groups of boys ten or twelve years old in our streets, smoking cigars, without anticipating such a depreciation in our posterity with regard to health and character, as can scarcely be contemplated without pain and horror!

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After the foregoing was in type, it was submitted to Doctor Warren, of this City, with a request that he would examine the whole, carefully, and give his opinion of it. He has kindly returned the following strong testimonial in favor of the Dissertation, which cannot but secure it a wide circulation, and the attentive perusal of every man who values health.

DEAR SIR--

In compliance with your request, I have read over the pamphlet of Dr. McAllister on the use of Tobacco. Though my present occupations have prevented my doing it so carefully, as to entitle me to suggest any alteration or improvement.

The general tendency of the pamphlet is excellent: and I most cordially give my opinion in its favor: for I have often had occasion to observe the pernicious effects of the free use of tobacco. Many instances of dyspepsia have come under my notice, the origin of which was traced to the practice of chewing; and on the abandonment of the habit, the patients were restored to health. I have seen a number of cases of injury to the voice, from the introduction of snuff into the facial sinuses. As to smoking, I am well satisfied that it is calculated to cause a feverish state of the body; and in certain constitutions it weakens the membranes which line the nostrils, throat, and lungs, produces a susceptibility to colds, and even more serious affections of these parts, when it has been much employed.

From what I have seen, I have been led to believe that this article is not necessary nor useful for the preservation of health; and that it is often a cause of weakness and sickness. I am, with great respect,

Your ob't serv't, JOHN C. WARREN. Boston, Jan. 25, 1832.

NOTE.--Many persons have the opinion that the use of tobacco is a preventive of contagious diseases: because it has been asserted that tobacconists and others living in the midst of the effluvia of this article, are exempted from the attacks of such disorders. The practices above alluded to, have in my opinion, a contrary effect. Those who live constantly in the region of tobacco, by the effect of habit cease to be stimulated and over excited by the diffusion of its lighter particles in the air they breathe. But those who employ it, occasionally, whether in smoking, chewing or snuffing, undergo an excitement, more or less considerable; which is infallibly followed by a proportionate debility, in which state, they would be subject to the attacks of a disease they might otherwise have escaped.

J. C. W.

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TRANSCRIBER'S NOTE:

Every effort has been made to replicate this text as faithfully as possible, including obsolete and variant spellings and other inconsistencies. Corrections in the text are noted below, with corrections inside the brackets:

page 12: typo corrected

colorless solution, from which it is precipitated by a tincture of galls. Tobacco yield[yields] its active matter to water and proof spirit, but most perfectly to the latter; long