Tobacco: medicine or vice?

D.Anton

The tobacco is native of the American continent where numerous species and varieties grow, many of which are cultivated from very remote times.

The plant was domesticated in Mexico as a result of the crossing of the wild varieties Nicotiana silvestris and Nicotiana otophora. Then it spread through much of the Caribbean where it was found by Europeans upon arrival. Other species of wild tobacco are found in eastern North America (Nicotiana rustica), in the west of that same continental territory, and in South America (Nicotiana attenuata, Nicotiana trigonophylla and Nicotiana quadrivalvis).

The common tobacco is a plant about 1 m high that has thick and oval leaves and auxiliary roots. All the tobaccos have an epidermis covered with small hairs, some of which are glandular and secrete a viscous liquid. The tobacco leaf contains several alkaloids with a psychoactive effect. The main one of them is nicotine, whose content varies according to the growing conditions, ranging from 10 to 4.5% 2.

The plant was used by almost all the American peoples, from the native nations of the cold temperate zones of North America to the Chaco, Guarani and Charrua cultures in the south of South America. It was consumed in various ways, and in different social and ceremonial settings. They chewed or swallowed the leaves, smoked them or breathed the smoke, prepared them in infusion or applied them directly to the skin.

In 1565 Benzoni described the tobacco that was grown in the major islands of the Caribbean as follows:

"On this island ... (" La Española ") ... as in some other regions of these new territories, there are certain shrubs that are not very large as if they were reeds that produce leaves similar to those of walnut, although they are much larger that the natives in places where there are very much appreciated, just like the slaves brought there by the Spaniards from Ethiopia. When the leaves are in their point, the regcogen, tie them in mallets and hang them over the fire until they are well dried. Then, when they want to use them, they take a leaf from the ear of their cereal and put one of the others inside, they wrap them together in the form of a tube; Then they light a fire at one end, and with the other in their mouth, they suck so that the smoke enters the mouth, throat and head. They endure as much smoke as they can tolerate, thereby obtaining pleasure, and they are so filled with this cruel smoke that they faint. "

The medicinal and ceremonial use

Tobacco was considered medicine in most of the native American cultures. It was used as a curative, ceremonial and visionary substance.

The properties of the different varieties of wild and traditional tobacco are little known. It is known that tobacco is smoked by the shaman to obtain answers that allow him to cure the sick or decide the best destinations for the communities. The Uruguayan charrúas smoked tobacco before making momentous decisions. Among the M'bya Guarani, during ceremonies and important gatherings, women throw tobacco smoke at their husbands and children to give them strength.

The Amazonian peoples, in addition to smoking it and using the leaves for intensive purposes, ingest the whole or ground leaves, in order to obtain visionary experiences. In that sense, its role is very similar to that of ayahuasca, although with a less intense psychoactive effect. There is generally agreement among native shamans that tobacco is the "younger sister" of ayahuasca.

The medicinal use of tobacco was not spread in the same way as its recreational use. In America, ritual use was gradually abandoned by creole societies.

On the other hand, the smoking of tobacco, especially that of certain varieties selected for their low nicotine content, was adopted by the Europeans, who quickly became fervent addicts. The custom spread in Europe, and then, to the rest of the world.

The global cultivation of tobacco

The tobacco is one of the most widespread crops of the global society, the production reaches billions of kilograms and the sums of money that circulate in its commerce surpass those of any other agro-industrial item. Although it can be used in a variety of ways, practically all of its consumption is based on smoking, especially in the form of cigarettes, manufactured with milled tobacco leaves and industrially armed using special paper, usually presented in cardboard boxes with the printed marks in full color.

Smoked (industrially or "scratched" by hand from solid masses of tobacco or "naco") in pipes and in manually prepared cigarettes is also smoked, although to a much lesser degree. The leaves can be rolled and smoked in the form of "habanos" or "toscanos".

The diffusion of tobacco is due to the addictive nature of cigarettes specially modified at industrial level to obtain the maximum addiction.

In fact, wild tobacco is not addictive. It is impossible to smoke rustic tobacco as often as industrial cigarettes are smoked. For that reason, its use in native cultures was limited to ceremonial and healing functions.

The development of individual and social addiction processes took place after the European invasion of the continent.

From "Peoples, Drugs and Serpents", Danilo Antón, Piriguazú Ediciones

Blog in English: danantongiudice.blogspot.com