868
ELEMENTS OF MATERIA MEDICA.
Ilavannali tobacco : it received its name from canastra (a Spanish v ^ gc)signifying a basket), because it was sold in baskets- The term isapplied to tobacco from Varinas. Pigtail and Negro-head are cRtobaccos. Cigars and Sheroots (the latter distinguished by their ^cated extremities, while cigars have a pointed extremity called theor twist) are extensively manufactured in London . Woodville s tinah cigars and Manilla sheroots are in request by smokers. - ixi r
In the manufacture of snuff, the tobacco is first fermented by Pj jit in heaps, and sprinkling it with water. It soon becomes ,n •
is allowed to
evolves ammonia. The extent to which this process is — u ,
ceed varies with different kinds of snuff. The immense varieties ot j,found in the shops are reducible to two kinds :—1st. Dry snuffs, ^ u jfsing the Scotch, Irish, Welsh, and the scarce Spanish . 2nd. Moistor rappees, under which are included simple rappees, (as the brown, ^black, the Cuba, the Carotte , the Bolangero, &c.,) mixed rapP e fHardham's Genuine No. 37), and the scented rappees, (as Prince s tture, Princeza, &c.) The Scotch and Irish are prepared, for.the jj- spart, from the midribs: the Strasburgh, French , and Russian ■-from the soft part of the leaves. The rappees are usually kept rS ,by pearlash. Sal ammoniac is frequently added to snuffs. The sisometimes termed thirds, are usually reground. ,. gt >a-
Tobacconists employ, in the preparation of tobacco, a solution . j,salt, sp. gr. IT07: this is termed the sauce or liquor. In the P re l ,a , c t ofof the Macouba snuff of Martinique , molasses, or a solution of ext ^ 0 j e tliquorice, is added to the salt sauce, by which this snuff acquires acolour (Ure, Diet, of Arts and Manuf. p. 1255). , ^
Composition. —The juice of the fresh leaves of tobacco was a®in 1809 by Vauquelin [Ann. de Chim. lxxi. 139). Subsequent /chemist analysed manufactured tobacco ( Annal. du Mus. d'Hist. An ■. ^jo)p. 21.) In 1821 Hermbstadt (Schweigger’s Journ.fiir Chem. xxX1 j t a u<ldiscovered nicotianin. In 1827 the leaves were analyzed by Ross p r .Reinmann (Gmelin, Handb. d. Chem. ii. 1303), and in 1831 ;
Conwell ( Sillimans Journ. xvii. 369).
An acrid volatile principle ( mcotina).Albumen.
Red matter, soluble in alcohol and water.Acetic acid.
Supermalate of lime.
Clilorophylle.
Nitrate ofpotash and chlorideof potassium.Sal ammoniac.
Water.
Expressed juice of the leaves.
The leaves contained, in addition to theabove, woody fibre, oxalate and phosphateof lime, oxide of iron, and silica. Thetwo latter substances were obtained fromthe ashes.
Manufactured tobacco contained thesame principles; and, in addition, car-bonate of ammonia and chloride of cal-cium, doubtless produced by the reactionof sal ammoniac and lime,which are addedto tobacco to give it pungency.
Posselt and Reinmann's Andy ^
Nicotina .;•••” 0®*
Concrete volatile oil ( nicotianin)
Bitter extractiveGum with malate of lime.ClilorophylleAlbumen and glutenMalic acid
Lignin and a trace of starch.
Salts (sulphate, nitrate, and m a 'late of potash, chloride of P“'tassium, phosphate and mamof lime, and malate of am® 0nia)
SilicaWater
Fresh leaves of tobacco