Tobacco is cut into what is called shag tobacco by knife-edged chopping stamps, a machine somewhat similar to that represented under [Metallurgy], [fig. 670.] For grinding the tobacco leaves into snuff, conical mortars are employed, somewhat like that used by the Hindoos for grinding sugar-canes, [fig. 1080.]; but the sides of the snuff-mill have sharp ridges from the top to near the bottom.
Mr. L. W. Wright obtained a patent in August, 1827, for a tobacco-cutting machine, which bears a close resemblance to the well-known machines with revolving knives, for cutting straw into chaff. The tobacco, after being squeezed into cakes, is placed upon a smooth bed within a horizontal trough, and pressed by a follower and screws to keep it compact. These cakes are progressively advanced upon the bed, or fed in, to meet the revolving blades. The speed of the feeding-screw determines the degree of fineness of the sections or particles into which the tobacco is cut.
I was employed some years ago by the Excise, to analyze a quantity of snuff, seized on suspicion of having been adulterated by the manufacturer. I found it to be largely drugged with pearl-ashes, and to be thereby rendered very pungent, and absorbent of moisture; an economical method of rendering an effete article at the same time active and aqueous.
According to the recent analysis of Possett and Reimann, 10,000 parts of tobacco-leaves contain—6 of the peculiar chemical principle nicotine; 1 of nicotianine; 287 of slightly bitter extractive; 174 of gum, mixed with a little malic acid; 26·7 of a green resin; 26 of vegetable albumen; 104·8 of a substance analogous to gluten; 51 of malic acid; 12 of malate of ammonia; 4·8 of sulphate of potassa; 6·3 of chloride of potassium; 9·5 of potassa, which had been combined with malic and nitric acids; 16·6 of phosphate of lime; 24·2 of lime, which had been combined with malic acid; 8·8 of silica; 496·9 of fibrous or ligneous matter; traces of starch; and 88·28 of water.
Nicotine is a transparent colourless liquid, of an alkaline nature. It may be distilled in a retort plunged into a bath heated to 290° Fahrenheit. It has a pricking, burning taste, which is very durable; and a pungent disagreeable smell. It burns by means of a wick, with the diffusion of a vivid light, and much smoke. It may be mixed with water in all proportions. It is soluble also in acetic acid, oil of almonds, alcohol, and ether, but not in oil of turpentine. It acts upon the animal economy with extreme violence; and in the dose of one drop it kills a dog. It forms salts with the acids. About one part of it may be obtained by very skilful treatment from one thousand of good tobacco.
Tobacco imported into the United Kingdom, viz.—unmanufactured, in 1836, 52,232,907 lbs.; in 1837, 27,070,448 lbs.;—manufactured, and snuff, in 1836, 182,248 lbs.; in 1837, 642,287 lbs. Retained for home consumption, unmanufactured, in 1836, 22,309,021 lbs.; in 1837, 22,504,343 lbs.:—manufactured, and snuff, in 1836, 159,226 lbs.; in 1837, 145,045 lbs. Duty received,—on unmanufactured tobacco, in 1836, £3,344,703; in 1837, £3,375,125; on manufactured tobacco, and snuff, in 1836, £71,560; in 1837, £65,220.
TOBACCO-PIPES. The practice of smoking tobacco has become so general in many nations as to render the manufacture of tobacco-pipes a considerable branch of industry. Some seek in the inhalation of tobacco-smoke a pleasurable narcotism; others imagine it to be beneficial to their health; but, in general, smoking is merely a dreamy resource against ennui, which ere long becomes an indispensable stimulus. The filthiness of this habit, the offensive odour which persons under its influence emit from their mouths and clothes, the stupor it too often occasions, as well as the sallow complexion, black or carious teeth, and impaired digestion, all prove the great consumption of tobacco to be akin in evil influence upon mankind to the use of ardent spirits.
Tobacco-pipes are made of a fine-grained plastic white clay, to which they have given the name. It is worked with water into a thin paste, which is allowed to settle in pits, or it may be passed through a sieve, to separate the siliceous or other stony impurities; the water is afterwards evaporated till the clay becomes of a doughy consistence, when it must be well kneaded to make it uniform. Pipe-clay is found chiefly in the isle of Purbeck and Dorsetshire. It is distinguished by its perfectly white colour, and its great adhesion to the tongue after it is baked; owing to the large proportion of alumina which it contains.
A child fashions a ball of clay from the heap, rolls it out into a slender cylinder upon a plank, with the palms of his hands, in order to form the stem of the pipe. He sticks a small lump to the end of the cylinder for forming the bowl; which having done, he lays the pieces aside for a day or two, to get more consistence. In proportion as he makes these rough figures, he arranges them by dozens on a board, and hands them to the pipemaker.
The pipe is finished by means of a folding brass or iron mould, channelled inside of the shape of the stem and the bowl, and capable of being opened at the two ends. It is formed of two pieces, each hollowed out like a half-pipe, cut as it were lengthwise; and these two jaws, when brought together, constitute the exact space for making one pipe. There are small pins in one side of the mould, corresponding to holes in the other, which serve as guides for applying the two together with precision.