NICOTIANA;
OR THE
SMOKER’S AND SNUFF-TAKER’S
COMPANION;
CONTAINING THE
HISTORY OF TOBACCO;
CULTURE—MEDICAL QUALITIES AND THE LAWS
RELATIVE TO ITS IMPORTATION AND
MANUFACTURE:
WITH AN
Essay in its Defence.
THE WHOLE ELEGANTLY EMBELLISHED AND INTERSPERSED
WITH
ORIGINAL POETRY AND ANECDOTES,
BEING INTENDED AS AN AMUSING AND INSTRUCTIVE VOLUME
FOR ALL
GENUINE LOVERS OF THE HERB,
BY HENRY JAMES MELLER, ESQ.
| “I do assert and will affirm it before any prince in Europe,to be the most sovereign and precious weed that ever theearth tendered to the use of man.” Captain Bobadil.—Every Man in his Humour. |
LONDON:
EFFINGHAM WILSON,
Royal Exchange.
1832.
TO
H. R. H. THE DUKE OF SUSSEX,
This little Work,
AS A
TRIFLING TOKEN OF VENERATION FOR HIS CHARACTER
AND ESTEEM FOR HIS TASTE,
IS MOST RESPECTFULLY INSCRIBED.
PREFACE.
Many an excellent cause has been lost through the want of sound arguments,founded on a knowledge of the case, to support and place it in its properlight. None, perhaps, more than smoking and snuff-taking, thepropriety of which, in the upper orders of life, have been and are,whether as regards their social or medicinal qualities, so frequentlycalled in question by their enemies. These, the author is sorry to say, bythe use of a few specious arguments, that chiefly pass current in refinedsociety—the ladies in particular—have, strongly aided by prejudice,often made the defence succumb to the attack—an unpardonable weakness[Pg vi] onthe part of a consumer of the herb, who is naturally enough expected toknow the entire history of the favorite of his adoption. Unacquainted withthe excellence of his subject, its importance and consequence in ancientand modern annals—its high worshippers and eulogists, medical, andnon-medical, with its many endearing and social virtues acknowledged overthe far greater part of the world; he, the Author asserts, unacquaintedwith the above data and references, opposes but a feeble barrier to thesweeping and general assertions of his adversary.
In the above glorious cause (i. e. Anti-Smokers and Snuff-Takers v. Loversof the Herb) the Author himself holds a brief in the defence as counsel,and flattering himself he has made himself fully master of the case, hebegs to impart it as a proper, if not an absolutely requisiteaccompaniment to all lovers of the ‘soothing leaf.’ The prejudices againstsmoking are numerous. Smoking that is called unsocial, the author[Pg vii]affirms to be the common source of harmony and comfort,