10] Cuban Counterpoint smoke, Sugar goes glatonowsly down the gullet ito the in ‘esis, wheres converted into muslestengthening vigor ‘Tobacco lke che rascal itis, goes from the mouth ‘wp the turnings and eitinge ofthe canium, following the tril of thought Ee femo dare ace. Not fr nothing was tobaco con ddemned as snare ofthe devi sinful and dangerous, “Tobacco isunnecesary for man and gar ieaeequiste of his cnganism, And yet chs supeeiuous teen gives rise to vce thar becomes a torment if sts denied; ee far ear to become resigned to daing without the necesary sugar, “Tabacco contains a poison: nicotine (ce Par Il, Chapter); sugar affords nourishment; carbohydrates. Tobacen‘potons, sugar nourishes. Nietine stimulates the ind, giving it iabali- al inspiration the exces of glucor in the Blood benunbs the fain and even causes stupdicy. For this reason alone tobacco ‘would be ofthe liberal reform group and sgar ofthe reaction ry conservatives; fitingly enough, century ago in England the Whigs were regarded a it les than devil nd the Tories as ile lev han fool, “etn je medinl pat wv consider by bath Indians and Europenss. Tobacco sa nacotiean emetic, and an nsparasitc. I active ingredient, nicotine, is wed ae an ant tetanic in css of paralysis ofthe bladder, and aan nsstiide Tn olden times i was used forthe mot farferched cures a cording to Father Cobo, “to cure innumerable alent, in {green or did lea form, in powder, in smoke, ia infusion, and In cher ways.” Cuban folklore hae preserved some of these practices in home remedies, Souff was used ssa dentifrice. At the beginning ofthe nineteenth ceneury avery bitertaing va riety, known as Pear, wae manufactured in Havana and ex ported to England for this purpose: it contained a mista of Powdered tobacco and a kind af red cay, Tabacco hs always sen highly prized for ite sdative qualies, and was regarded as a medicine forthe spit. For this reason, if long ago the Savages cense thelr idol in esves with tobacco to placate their fry with adulation, taday one bums the incense af tabieco in the hollows ofone's own skull to eal ones wories and breathe _new life ino one'sillsons Sugar, too, has its medicinal side and is even a base element of our physiclogial make-up, producing peychological istrb- Tobueco and Suger Lx ances by its deficiency a5 by its exces. Par this reason, and be- ‘use oftheir scarcity, sar and tobacco wee sod centuries go athe apothecary’ shop. But in spite of their old association on the druggists shelves, tobacco and sugar have alway Been far moved. In the option of morals tobacco was vicious in vgn and was abomiatel by them ad ended by kings Ws uch 38 was exaled by the decors Tolbacco is, yond dubs, malignant; e belongs to that dan- serous and widespread family ofthe Solanaces ln the old Eur san warld the Solanacee were known to inspite terror or, Inent, vision, and deliv, Mandragoea priced madaess and deears and acted as an aphroisae. Attopa gave is name Toone ofthe Fates. Belladonna give the dafel blackness of hel to the pupils of beauitul women's eyes. Henbane was the nar ‘otic poison of case Terature. The various datures were the ource of alkaloids thatthe Indians of Asia aswell those of America employe in tei ts spells, and crimes In ote New World this family of cursed. plants war regencated. Bren though the Datura, of which the lowly Jimson weed is a species sol works its diabolical will here, inpiing the mystic eney “of Aztecs Quechuas Zui, Algonguins and aher native tes America has paid its debt of sin with interest, bestowing on Imankind other plants ofthe olanaceous fanny, but upright, tile members suchas the potato, which today iscutated mote extensively throughout the word than whet; the tomato, the “love apple” of the French, whose juice is considered ssimlaing wine today; and the pepper that king of spices Which carzes to all the globe the burning and wiaminsich Mimeler ofthe topic sin of America, But in addition to these exemplary plants with dir nutri- tions homely, espectale fruits the Solanacce of Ameria set afot in the world that scamp ofthe fai, tobsccoyncker fruie mor ood, sy and conceited, ly and having no exer ob Joctthan to empe the sii The moralins of Burepe were fully ware of the mischie-making properties ofthat cesible Loe tian tempter. Quevedo said in Spin that “more harm had been done by bringing in that powder and amok than the Catholic King had commited thraygh Cotrbs ad Cars” But those ere rogues’ days and thing cold be devised to hal his Ine an tofacco which, lke the Limping Devi, went roving all