smoking

[herbie]

Hi

A friend of mine told me that smoking in this country originated back in the days of the plague as a form of protection is this right? Thanks All

[PhilBy]

Nah, smoking started around 1590 when Sir Walter Raleigh first brought tobacco back to these fair isles ......... the plague wasn't until 1665.

[Lonnie]

First time i've heard this one, and while philby is right, its a possibility that the plague exacerbated it, you know how things start, people were even more supersticious the, than thay are now.

[Octavius]

Almost, but no cigar (boom boom). Cures for the plague were pointless but sought after if someone had the money to pay for them. Nathaniel Hodges believed that sweating out the disease was a sound approach and he encouraged those victims he came across to burn anything they could to create heat and smoke. In view of the fact that Londoners lived in wooden houses then, this was not particularly sound advice even from a proper doctor. However, many were desperate to try anything.

[Lonnie]

Now we know how the fire in Pudding lane stated.

[herbie]

Thanks to you all i thuoght he was`wrong