The Influence of Snu¤. REMEDY FOR HEADACHE AND WEAK SIGHT-PERFUMED SNUFF INJURIOUS-SNEEZING SOCIABILITY-STERNE -SWIFT-POETIC INSPIRATION-SONG. THEY err who assert that snuff impairs the sense of smelling, and vitiates the digestion; a surgeon, visiting a fever ward, does well to encase his olfactory nerves in snuff, for the benefit of his stomach. Not only the Cephalic, par excellence, Grimstone's Eye Snuff, and Turner's Aromatic Scotch, must be confessed of service, in cases of headache, and weakness of sight; but so is all good (not perfumed) snuff. A person known to us, suffered great pain and inconvenience after a fall, which had impaired the powers of speech, threatening a Matthew Stuffyism; such, as in the case of a popular light comedian, will sometimes wrench a word from its true sound and meaning, making him talk of "Batribody ad dice wibid." The battered one took to plain snuff, and was again enabled to speak through the nose a great advantage; also to use a kerchief, without any fear of blowing the brains out. We remember a booby squire who thought it fine to learn snuff-taking, bought a small shallow box; but in the evening of its first day, was seized with what he called "a nauseous headache ; all owing to the snuff." An experienced friend opened its little receptacle; a heavy cloying odour exhaled from a long lump that nearly filled it. "In the name of stupidity!" cried the explorer, "what is this?" "Why," grumped the invalid, "they call it a Donkey-bean." "And well they may. One Tonquin bean is strong enough to scent the contents of a sea-chest, and you have let it impregnate a quarter of an ounce in a nut-shell. Your indisposition is owing to the donkey, not the snuff." There must be solace and inspiration in snuff: an Irish woman used to beg pence that she might purchase it, while nursing "the babby:" a dictatorial patroness once said: "Why, Peggy, I gave you a trifle for the same purpose only last evening; you seem always buying snuff." "Ah then," sighed the poor mother, "What's an ounce a day, my lady, to a woman giving suck?" If she had not had it, she must have fed her child on fretfulness and care; whereas, in our sense, we might contradict Shakspere, and e'en if "hidden from the radiant sun" be "solaced in a dungeon by a snuff." Old takers become dead to the acute sensation which causes sneezing, yet it would ill-compliment a snuff, one's calling it "not to be sneezed at." Very salutary to the inhabituated, is that involuntary obedience to the impulses of those comic convulsions-sneezing fits their shocks at once relieve and revive us,-inspire a good humoured self-derision, of great service to those who pride in the dignified sagacity of what they are wont to utter. While a man can be forced to sneeze, or to weep by aught piquant, snuff is an admirable missile of war. In the grand Lock campaign, at Hampton, "See fierce Belinda on the Baron flies, With more than usual lightning in her eyes; "But this bold Lord, with manly strength endued, She by one finger and a thumb, subdued. Just where the breath of life his nostrils drew, A charge of snuff the wily virgin threw : The pungent grains of titillating dust; If she had foraged for this supply on Sir Plume's "amber box" of which he was so "vain," that was a double glory for the ringlet-bereaved Amazon. At clubs, in coffee-rooms, at public exhibitions or amusements, on coaches, or on board ship, how often as snuff acted Master of the Ceremonies; introducing strangers to each other, establishing between them a circulating medium, of courteous sympathies, common interests, general topics! The admiration excited by box or contents, leads to questions and replies; localities, arts, literature, politics, scandal, "the price of things, the fashion, and the weather;" a thousand subjects are set afloat, by this cheap and innocent bribe. But for snuff, Sterne and the Guido-esque Capuchin, would never have come to an understanding. Snuff sustained Sir Joshua's patience, while "he shifted his trumpet ;"-subdued the irritation of Sir Fretful. Recollect that Swift makes an ignorant Abigail, representing her beau-ideal of a military man, say for him : "Your Novids, and Blutarcks, and Omers, and stuff, Egad I don't vally 'em this pinch of snuff." If it had been a blessing to which his deserts could aspire (politely to translate a common phrase), he would not have been so "mauled" by the tutor for "coquetting his wife." As one among the many instances of snuff's power to lend a poet inspiration, we subjoin an extemporised parody, by an Irish barrister. The song, we believe, was never printed; and if known at all in England, must, by this time, be forgotten. We give the whole of this chanson, though its early verses do not bear upon our subject; that the testator reserved as his "last best gift," though receptacle and contents could not have cost a tithe of the price paid for the two other articles willed away. |