Common Tobacco
Common tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum, Solanaceae)
French: tabac commun
Tobacco is native to the Americas, this species in South America. There it has a long tradition as a sacred plant in many peoples. In Europe this species as well as the tree tobacco (Nicotiana glauca) are cultivated. Especially the latter is frequently found naturalized on Ibiza.
Since smoking tobacco has become an object of widespread addiction and consequently is being fought, most Europeans can hardly imagine using it as a medicine. The main alkaloid is nicotine which is one of the strongest poisons in plants and when eaten or drunk quickly leads to death but-like many poisons-can have beneficial effects when taken in small quantities.
Against asthma special cigarettes used to be in use, also with hemp or jimsonweed.
There is a special method of tobacco drinking (only with supervision of a specialist!!!) to overcome nicotine addiction.
