Tobacco : the effects of its use as a luxury on the physical and the moral nature of man ; a prize essay / by Elisha Harris.

  • Harris, Elisha, 1824-1884
Date:
1853
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Tobacco : the effects of its use as a luxury on the physical and the moral nature of man ; a prize essay / by Elisha Harris. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by the Harvey Cushing/John Hay Whitney Medical Library at Yale University, through the Medical Heritage Library. The original may be consulted at the Harvey Cushing/John Hay Whitney Medical Library at Yale University.

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    Its deluded victims are counted by tens of millions and «ts disgusting plague spot is seen in every hamlet and in almost every habitation on the face of the earth. In all nations and among all classes, this nauseous weed has become the fashionable luxury of life; and notwith- standing its well known poisonous nature, it is more eager- ly sought, and freely used, than any other inebriating or narcotic drug. None who freely use it, can withstand its fascinating in- fluence upon the mind, nor avoid its hurtful and poisonous effects upon the body. Yet, the learned philosopher and the rude savage alike seek the dreamy and oblivious charms of this stupefying weed, and yield themselves to the vilest servitude and to the most disgusting and pernicious habits. We know that it is a thankless duty thus to take up ar- gument against this most fashionable of luxuries ; but a duty is, and the writer will endeavor faithfully to present the facts and the arguments which observation and experience have fully established ; and especially as a physician is i* his duty to call attention to the truths which medical sci- ence and observations have demonstrated in reference to the physical and the moral effects of this pernicious luxury. To exhibit the truth in reference to this subject, and thereby to dissuade mankind from the use of that hurtful luxury,is thesole objectof this essay : and we would that wo had power to break the spell by which the victims of tobac- co are kept from hearing the voice of reason and feeling the force of truth, as readily as we hope to convince and influence those who have not yielded to the charms of this bewitching drug, nor become the slaves of perverted ap- petite. We do not propose to indulge in harsh invective, nor shall we wage a pedantic war of words against this stupefying weed and its blinded victims ; but it is our design to ad- dress to reason and to conscience, the argument of facts and sober truth.
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