Schlössing has made a similar investigation and found that in the same plant the nicotine content varies from 0.79% when young to 4.32% when fully matured. Most nicotine is found in the ribs and veins.

H. B. Cox (American Druggist V. 24, 1894, p. 95) investigated the nicotine contents of various manufactured tobaccos. These were not “proprietary tobaccos” but samples obtained from different sources at random. His results are given here:

Nicotine Contents of Different Tobaccos

Nicotine
Syrian Tobacco leaf (a) .612%
American Chewing Leaf .935%
Syrian Tobacco Leaf (b) 1.093%
Chinese Tobacco Leaf 1.902%
Turkish Coarse Cut 2.500%
Golden Virginia (whole strips) 2.501%
Gold Flake Virginia 2.501%
Navy Cut (light) 2.530%
Light Kentuckian 2.733%
Navy Cut (dark) 3.64 %
Best “Bird’s Eye” 3.931%
Cut Cavendish (a) 4.212%
Best Shag (a) 4.907%
Cut Cavandish (b) 4.970%
Best Shag (b) 5.00 %
Algerian Tobacco (a) 8.813%
French Grown Tobacco 8.711%
Algerian Tobacco (b) 8.90 %

The average of a number of samples of Syrian tobacco showed 1 to 2% nicotine, Manila and Havana 1 to 3%, Virginia and Kentucky from 2 to 7%, and French tobaccos about 9%.

Most of the nicotine in tobacco becomes volatilized and decomposed during combustion; a small part, however, may form a solution with the water which is also one of the combustion products. One of the decomposition products of nicotine is

Pyridine

Pyridine is usually found in tobacco smoke. When condensed it is a colorless non-oily liquid and is considerably less toxic than nicotine.

Reference will be made later on to the effects of nicotine and pyridine on the human system.

Potash