Tobacco is gift of the God to people. Part 1

Tobacco is gift of the God to people. At least just in this way antique tribes of American Indians have explained its origin. They considered that Gods look with favor on tobacco smoke that is why shamans and healers periodically has to smoke their pipes and breathe out the smoke upward in order to rise it to Gods and to propitiate them. In some tribes tobacco leafs were thrown in the fire as sign of gratitude and appreciation of Gods for their protection. Often tobacco served as the mean for dialog when common smoking the pipe of peace meant the end of any kind of animosity among the parties.

First who started to use tobacco in their religious rituals where Indians of Central America, they have noticed that during smoking it in a certain quantities is possible to achieve condition of trance that is attended by hallucinations and even loss of consciousness.

To tobacco were also attributed magic and healing properties but the biggest advantage was exceptional delight that it gave while smoking. Namely this fact has amazed Christopher Columbus and his people who in October 1492 unexpectedly for them have opened entirely new continent and have for the first time saw Indians who smoked their pipes and emitting amazingly pleasant aromatic smoke.

However, not less merit in tobacco discovering to the Old World belonged to Fernandez de Toledo, Spanish scientist at court of the king Philippe II who has firstly described the plant itself after its careful examination in 1559 in Mexico and French priest Andre Seve who having landed in 1555 in Brasilia was able to master technique of tobacco growing out of seeds and has become famous as first man that has cultivated tobacco in Europe. From 1600 grinded in powder tobacco was widely used by high estate for inhalation in nose, but the fame of first European who preferred pipe smoking is attributed to English researcher Walter Raleigh that has departed on the instructions of queen Elizabeth I in Northern America and that has founded there Virginia colony.

From the time when tobacco has for the first time entered in Europe, it, as well as many other plants started to be used in medicinal purposes. In many monastic botanic gardens of Spain and Portugal were made deep investigations with purpose of detection of tobacco curative properties, result of which became its use for cough treatment, headaches and some skin diseases.