Absinthe and Tobacco Before Industrialization
Both the main ingredient of absinthe (wormwood) and tobacco have been known to mankind for their qualities for centuries. The oldest known reference to medical use of wormwood dates from about 1552 BC, in the Egyptian Ebers Papyrus.[5] In the middle-ages, wormwood was known and used primarily because of its assumed medicinal qualities.[5] A recipe for an alcoholic drink based on dried leaves of wormwood (absinthe) was developed in 1789 by Dr Ordinaire. He used it as treatment for illness, but this recipe later became the basis of the industrially produced absinthe, which commenced with the founding of the Pernod-fils distillery in 1798.
Widespread tobacco use in eastern North America, where the tobacco leaf is native to, dates back to at least 2000 years ago.[6] The oldest existing illustration of a smoker is a Mayan illustration of a smoking God.[7] Accounts of the smoking of tobacco can be found in the manuscripts and journals of European explorers of the New World. Gradually, using tobacco in all kinds of forms (e.g. snuff, cigars, cigarettes) was introduced into Europe as well. Tobacco was introduced into France by 1556, in Portugal by 1558 and in Spain by 1559.[8] But widespread smoking was greatly promoted after 1880, with the invention of a cigarette-rolling machine to replace the time consuming hand-rolling of cigarettes.
Int J Epidemiol. 2007;36(4):738-744. © 2007 Oxford University Press
Copyright 2007 International Epidemiological Association. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved.
Cite this: Absinthe--Is Its History Relevant for Current Public Health? - Medscape - Aug 01, 2007.
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