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These hopes often went to absurd lengths, such as the following prophecy by
the renowned 18th century colonial botanist, John Josselyn, proclaiming:
“The vertues of Tobacco are these, it helps digestion, the Gout, the
Tooth‑Ach, prevents infection by scents, it heats the cold, and cools them
that sweat, feedeth the hungry, spent spirits restoreth,
purgeth the stomach, killeth nits and lice; the juice of the green leaf
healeth green wounds, although poysoned; the Syrup for many diseases, the
smoak for the Phthisick, cough of the lungs, distillations of rheume, and
all diseases of a cold and moist cause, good for all bodies cold and moist
taken upon a full stomach it precipitates digestion, immoderately taken it
dryeth the body, enflameth the bloud, hurteth the brain, weakens the eyes
and the sinews.”
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