TITUS VESPASIANUS, the Roman emperor, the son of Vespasian; of whom it is related, that not being able to re-
collect any remarkable good action he had done on a certain day, he exclaimed, "I have lost a day!" He might truly be called the father of his people; and though Rome laboured under various public calamities during his reign, such was his equitable and mild administration, that he constantly preserved his popularity. He was a great lover of learning, and composed several poems. He reigned but two years; and it is thought Domitian his brother poisoned him, A. D. 81, aged 41. See (History of) ROME.
Toad-Stone, a genus of argillaceous earths examined by Dr. Withering. He describes it as of a dark-brownish grey colour; its texture granular; neither effervescing with acids nor striking fire with steel. The cavities of it are filled with crystallized spar, and in a strong heat it is fusible per se. An hundred parts of toad-stone contain from 56 to 63.5 of siliceous earth, near 15 of argillaceous earth, 7.5 of calcareous earth, and 16 of oxydated iron. Dr. Kirwan observes, that the toad-stone is not much different from bassalt, only that it is softer: it contains also a smaller proportion of iron, and a larger one of siliceous earth.
The Indians (says Dr. Leake) poison their arrows with the oil of tobacco, which, infused into a fresh wound, occasions sickness and vomiting, or convulsions and death; with what safety therefore, setting aside propriety, the subtle powder of this plant, called snuff, may be applied to the tender, internal surface of the nose, it may be proper to inquire; for, if the oil of tobacco is a mortal poison when applied to the open vessels of a wound, surely this plant, when taken in substance as snuff, must in a certain degree be injurious. From the infinite number of nerves diffused over the mucous membrane of the nose, it is endowed with exquisite feeling; and, the better to preserve the sense of smelling, those nerves are continually lubricated with moisture.
By the almost caustic acrimony of snuff, this moisture is dried up, and those fine, delicate nerves, the organs of smelling, are rendered callous and insensible. To this self-evident bad effect may be added the narcotic or stupifying power of tobacco, by which not only the brain and nerves are injured, but also the eyes depending upon their influence, together with the sense of smelling; and, from the force with which snuff is usually drawn up the nose, its passage will be obstructed, and the voice lose its clearness and distinct articulation.
Besides those pernicious qualities, snuff often involuntarily descends into the stomach, creating nausea, loss of appetite, and vomiting; and by its narcotic power will diminish nervous influence and impair digestion; it discolours the skin contiguous to the nose, and will taint the sweetest breath with the rank odour of a tobacco-calk. For this reason the ladies of fashion in France seldom take snuff till they are married; a very high compliment, no doubt, to their husbands. The only advantage of taking snuff is that of sneezing, which, in sluggish, phlegmatic habits, will give universal concussion to the body, and promote a more free circulation of the blood; but of this benefit, snuff-takers are deprived, from being familiar with its use.
We have been told, that tobacco, when chewed, is a preservative against hunger: but this is a vulgar error; for, in reality, it may more properly be said to destroy appetite by the profuse discharge of saliva, which has already been considered as a powerful, dissolving fluid, essential both to appetite and digestion. In smoking, the fumes of tobacco
induce a kind of pleasing insensibility not easily described. Its narcotic odour, thus administered, equally infatuates the ignorant savage and the intelligent philosopher; but, by the large expence of saliva thereby occasioned, it is productive of many disorders of the head and stomach, particularly the last.