Imagine that you that you are making some soup for dinner. You are chopping up some celery and then you chop your thumb off! What would you do, call the ambulance? What if I tell you that you are living in the 18th century? Instead of making you rack your brain for an answer, I'll just tell you what someone did in the exact same situation.
After accidently chopping his thumb off with a clever, a cook used a needle, thread, and tobacco leaves to solve his dilemma. He sewed his thumb back on and then dressed it with tobacco leaves. After five to six dressings, his thumb completely healed.
There is a major stigma around tobacco today and it makes sense. Tobacco has claimed the lives of over three million people whether it was by smoking, chew, etc. However, many are not aware of its medicinal benefits. In fact, when tobacco was finally introduced to the Europeans, it was used in almost every medicine.
Tobacco is great for digestion (its an antidiarrhetic), colds, fevers, catarrh. The aroma of fresh green tobacco leaves was used by the Native Americans to reduce headaches.
Besides these and other great uses, tobacco is most well-known for its healing qualities. There was a skin disease called Noli-me-tangere which created slow spreading ulcerating lesions of the skin. People began treat the skin with tobacco leaves and juice and the lesions would be gone within eight to ten days. Tobacco is really good for healing skin when it's ulcerate in general. It is also really good for ringworm and scrofula ("king's euill").
It seems to be, if tobacco is used correctly, it is actually a very useful tool for healing skin. For more information, check out my tobacco notes document on my "Notes" page.
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