Medicinal uses of tobacco

In general Tobacco is always considered to be useful for its nicotine content. but there are far more important uses of it, such as in medicinal fields.

1. MEDICINAL USES OF TOBACCO

2. Tobacco Botanical name: Nicotiana tabacum Nicotiana rustica Family: Solanaceae Synonyms- Tabacca , Tabaci Folia Part Used- Leaves , cured and dried. Habitat- Virginia , America; and cultivated with other species in China, Turkey, Greece, Holland, France, Germany and most sub-tropical countries .

3. Description The genus derived its name from Joan Nicot , a Portuguese who introduced the Tobacco plant into France . The specific name being derived from the Haitian word for the pipe in which the herb is smoked. Tobacco is an annual, with a long fibrous root, stem erect, round, hairy; it branches near the top and is from 3 to 6 feet high . Leaves large, numerous, alternate, sessile, somewhat decurrent , ovate, lanceolate , pointed, entire , and hairy, pale-green colour , brittle, narcotic odour , with a nauseous, bitter acrid taste . Nicotine is a volatile oil, inflammable, powerfull alkaline present in tobacco with an acrid smell and a burning taste. .

4. By distillation with water it yields a concrete volatile oil termed nicotianin or Tobacco camphor, which is tasteless, crystalline, and smells of Tobacco. other constituents are albumen, resin, gum, and inorganic matters Constituents The most important constituent is the alkaloid Nicotine, nicotianin , nicotinine , nicoteine , nicoteline . After leaves are smoked the nicotine decomposes into pyridine, furfurol , collidine , hydrocyanic acid, carbon-monoxide, etc. The poisonous effects of Tobacco smoke are due to these substances of decomposed nicotine.

5. Is the only use of tobacco is for making cigarettes?

6. MEDICINAL USES Medicinally it is used as a sedative, diuretic, expectorant, discutient , and internally only as an emetic, when all other emetics fail . The smoke injected into the rectum is beneficial against strangulated hernia , for obstinate constipation, and also in tetanus . A cataplasm of the leaves may be used as an ointment for cutaneous diseases . The leaves in combination with the leaves of belladonna or stramonium make an excellent application for obstinate ulcers, painful tremors and spasmodic affections .

7. The tobacco leaf juice cures facial neuralgia if rubbed along the tracks of the affected nerve. . Externally nicotine is an antiseptic. Tobacco in the form of an enema of the leaves was used to relax muscular spasms, to facilitate the reduction of dislocations. T obacco leaves should be considered an ideal plant for homeopathic practices, self-reliant living as well as a great  bartering item  for a long term emergency. A pipe smoked after breakfast assists the action of the bowels. An infusion of Tobacco is generally used in horticulture as an insecticide .

8. Skin Rashes, Eczema and rheumatism -  tobacco leaves put on skin inflammations to help soothe and relieve pain.  Toothaches – tobacco leaves could also be placed in the mouth to alleviate pain from toothaches . Rattlesnake and Insect Bites  - nicotine in the tobacco would help relieve pain as well as help draw out the poison and heal the snake wound.  After the poison had been sucked out, chewed leaves could be applied to cuts or bound on the bite with a bandage .    Colds - tobacco mixed with leaves from the Desert Sage plant, or the root of Indian Balsam (or cough root), Leptotaenia Multifida cures cold and would also help with asthma and tuberculosis . S moked leaves clear out nasal passages . Toothpaste - powdered tobacco is rubbed on the teeth for cleaning .

9. Tobacco is an excellent source of phytochemicals viz., solanesol , nicotine, proteins, tobacco seed oil and organic acids (malic and citric) which have pharmaceutical, agricultural and industrial uses. It has been established that tobacco seed oil is free from toxic substances. Refined tobacco seed oil is widely used as edible oil in countries like Bulgaria, Turkey, Tunisia and Greece, where tobacco is grown.

10. EVIL PLANT MAY BENEFIT RARE DISORDERS In 1926, it was reported that, when patients with certain types of parkinsonism were treated with subcutaneous injections of nicotine extracted from Nicitiana Rustica , many of them showed immediate improvement. A controlled study was done and in several cases, the risk of Parkinson's disease was lower in smokers than in non-smokers . intravenous administration of nicotine to non-smoking Alzheimer's patients produces significant improvements in long-term recall and attention span . low doses of nicotine can have dramatic effects in controlling the symptoms of Tourette's syndrome, a rare neurologic disorder.

11. Tobacco is a great insect repellent for the kitchen garden Aphid Control: mixture of 1 cup. powdered garlic , 1 cup compost and 1 cup tobacco (organic preferably ) is mixed with the soil and applied around the base of infested plants . Peach Tree Borers – Sprinkling tobacco dust around peach trees will deter the dreaded peach tree borer from infesting tree . Leaf Roller : mixture of tobacco dust, pyrethrum powder (dried pyrethrum flowers crumbled into a powder)  is made into a solution to spray on the leaf roller . Garden Centipede : Drenching the soil with a mixture of water, garlic and tobacco is effective against centipede.

12. Is tobacco a boon or a bane? Make use of the medicinal properties of tobacco plant

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