| Much of the early popularity of tobacco
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| | suffering from a headache thought they
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| in Europe rested on its supposed
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| | could avoid the risk of getting one by an
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| medicinal properties, rather than on its
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| | occasional sniff or two; snuff-taking
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| pleasurable smoking qualities. The
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| | rapidly became very fashionable.
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| tobacco leaf was introduced as a
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| | But snuff was not as yet taken purely for
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| universal remedy for all ailments by a
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| | pleasure; it was still considered
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| Frenchman, Jean Nicot, from whom both the
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| | strictly a medicinal preparation, to be
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| tobacco plant Nicotiana and the term
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| | purchased at the local apothecary's.
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| nicotine derive their name.
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| | Physicians gave it the somewhat repugnant
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| Nicot, appointed ambassador to Portugal
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| | Latin name of clysterium nasi which,
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| by the French Queen, Catherine de Medici,
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| | liberally translated, means "nasal
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| first saw the plant growing in the royal
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| | purge." An encyclopedia published at the
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| gardens in Lisbon. Learning that the
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| | time by Nicot himself provides the
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| Indians believed the plant to have
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| | following listing:
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| healing powers, the ambassador decided to
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| | "Nicotiane. An herb with miraculous
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| experiment. As Nicot's chef happened to
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| | healing powers against all complaints
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| have sliced his thumb with a kitchen
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| | such as boils, open sores, and rashes,
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| knife, Nicot bandaged the cut with fresh
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| | etc. It was introduced to France by the
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| green tobacco leaves. Surprisingly, the
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| | envoy to the King of Portugal, Mr. Jean
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| wound healed. A young lady acquaintance
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| | Nicot, after whom it derived its name."
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| of Nicot's had a severe rash on her face,
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| | The name Nicotiana was given to the
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| and a gentleman friend had sharp pains in
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| | tobacco plant not by Nicot himself but by
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| his foot. In both cases, after the
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| | the famed Swedish botanist, Linnaeus, to
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| application of tobacco leaves, the
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| | acknowledge Nicot's efforts in
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| maladies disappeared.
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| | encouraging the plant's general use.
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| Nicot pursued his experiments, and not
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| | Nicot did not live to see his medical
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| long afterward returned to France where
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| | observations discredited as having little
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| he informed the Queen of the marvelous
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| | scientific value; nor did he see snuff
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| cures which the plant had effected. One
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| | abused and vulgarized by being taken
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| day, when the Queen was suffering from a
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| | merely for its pleasurable sensations.
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| severe headache. Nicot suggested that she
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| | In popularizing snuff, Nicot
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| sniff some powder he had crushed from
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| | inadvertently also helped to introduce
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| dried tobacco leaves. The Queen agreeably
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| | smoking. A pinch of snuff or a pipe of
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| took a pinch of the brown powder, and
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| | tobacco both produced a stimulating
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| sneezed. After a few more sneezes, the
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| | effect; whether one smoked or took snuff
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| Queen remembered her headache only to
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| | was just a matter of taste. When
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| find it considerably improved.
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| | Frenchmen were first taking snuff,
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| From that moment on, the Queen of France
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| | Englishmen were smoking pipes; but later
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| became an ardent snuff enthusiast. The
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| | on, when snuff became fashionable in
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| French Court followed her example, and
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| | England, pipe smoking had already spread
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| the popularity of tobacco spread
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| | throughout the rest of Europe. After
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| throughout the country. For many years
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| | Europe had had sufficient time to try
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| the plant was called "The Queen's Herb"
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| | both ways, the taste for smoking
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| or "The Medici's Herb." Even those not
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| | triumphed.
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