TOBACCO.
Tobacco was introduced to Europe from Amu-lea about the middle of the 16th century, and is now extensively cultivated in most parts of the world. The name is from the West Indian tobacco pipe, tobogo or tobacco, and has been diffused with the product through rnost parts of Europe, Asia, Africa, and the Eastern Archipelago.
The East Indies have long possessed esteemed varieties of the various species of the tobacco genus Nicotiana, and increasing quantities and values of the tobacco, raw and manufactured, are being exported from India. Between 1851 and 1861, the value of the exported tobacco ranged between Rs. 1,98,270 and Rs. 5,83,360. This has largely increased as under :— Lbs. Rs. I Lbs. Rs.
1880-1, 13,673,141 14,08,3101882-3, 11,101,796 11,55,433 1881-2, 10,530,325 11,50,376 the largest shipments being to Great Britain, America, the Persian Gulf, and Arabia.
The quantities imported into India, however, have also been large ; between 1880-81 and 1882 83, about million lbs., value 6 to 8 lakhs of rupees.
Great Britain itnports annurdly from all coun tries about 51,000,000 lbs., value £2,500,000 ; in 1883, 57,193,065 lbs. of unmanufactured tobacco, value X1,846,382, of which 49,565,605 lbs. were retained for home consumption.
In several of the countries to which it has been brought, its use has been opposed, but it supplies some want to the human body, or affords some gratification, which indicates a want. It has rarely caused injury, is believed to render alcoholic stimulants less requisite, and the general belief amongst physicians and educated non-medical men is that it is useful as a narcotic stimulant, where there is much mental toil. The betel leaf perhaps excepted, tobacco is used more extensively than any other narcotic.
Afuhammadans in a religious point of view, regard the act oismoking as an act indifferent,' being of the class of biddate things, which, having come into existence after the death of the prophet, are therefore neither enjoined nor prohibited by him. It is stated in the Khulasat-ut-tawarikh that tobacco was introduced into India by the Portuguese in the latter part of Akbar's reign, and the beginning of Jahangir's. Jahanair, in the
fourteenth year of his reign, when at Ilhore, for bade the practice,—persons who smoked were to have their lips cut. Tobacco was introduced into Persia about the same time, during the reign of Abbas it. Several persons in Lahore, who con travened this order, were subjected to the tashir punishment, i.e. riding on an ass with their face to the tail, and their visage blackened, this pecu liar punishment being inflicted for infraction of imperial mandates. The Makhzan - - ad wiyah says tobacco was introduced by the Portuguese from the new world (Arz-i-jadid).
To discontinue the use of tobacco does not seem to be prejudicial to health. It and opium were once allowed to prisoners in British Indian jails, under the impression that their userin some shape or other, was essential to the preservation of health in those who had from their youth upwards freely and continuously indulged in them. On this point the Bengal Medical Board had reported that from long and confirmed habit, tobacco smoking had with many adult convicht, become not so much a luxury as a necessary of life, comparable to salt and other condiments, which nature prescribes as indispensable adjuncts to meals, and the Court of Directors considered that discretion was necessary in withdrawing tobacco from persons who had always been in the habit of using it.
The Panjab, Lower l'rovinces of Bengal, and Madras authorities, however, have ruled that tobacco and opium can only bo granted to con victs at the express direction of tho medical officer, and then only in limited quantities and for limited periods, in cases where the general health appears to suffer by their sudden and com plete withdrawal from old habituds.
Three years after the withdrawal of tobacco from prisoners in the Bengal Presidency had been accomplished, Dr. Mouat presented a report to the Government of Bengal, from which it appeared that of the fifty civil surgeons in charge of jails who had watched the effect of the order, thirty three considered that the withdrawal of tobacco from the prisoners had not been attended with injury to health, and fourteen gave undecided a n swers.