Tobacco Leaves: Being a Book of Facts for Smokers

by William Augustine Brennan

Remarks on Some of the Substances Found in Tobacco

Nicotine

Of all the substances found in tobacco, nicotine is the most important.

Nicotine in the pure state is a colorless liquid having a specific gravity of 1.027. It is an organic base having the chemical formula C₁₀H₁₄N₂. It is extremely acid and burning to the taste, and is a virulent poison. It easily volatilizes; is inflammable, and is soluble in water, alcohol, ether and some fixed oils. Nicotine has the characteristic peculiar odor of tobacco.

The amount of nicotine in tobacco is said to depend on the nature of the soil in which it is grown; rich, heavy soils and strong nitrogenous manuring favor the production of a large nicotine content; and light, sandy soils the opposite.

Moreover the nicotine content depends on the age and development of the plant.

An investigation by Chuard and Mellet showed nicotine contents of leaves:

In young plants 7 weeks old contained		.0324%
In plants 10 weeks old contained		.0447%
In plants 13 weeks old contained		.4989%
In plants 19 weeks old contained		.9202%

The longer the plant is permitted to grow the larger will be its nicotine content.