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400-Year-Old Letter Highlights Historic Opportunity for MSPs to Reduce Smoking in Young People & End “Youths-Bane”
The letter, written by Dr Eleazar Duncon, ‘Doctour of Physicke’ and published in 1606 concluded that “(tobacco) is so hurtful and dangerous to youth that it might have the pernicious nature expressed in the name, and that it were as well known by the name of Youths-bane, as by the name of tobacco”. The letter, based upon evidence of the time, formed the detailed opinion of Dr Duncon and was published by his gentleman employer in order to further medical understanding. This letter from our Library Collection provides a fascinating insight into historical medical concerns about the addictive nature of smoking and young people, and shows that this issue has been of concern for over four centuries.
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A
letter identified by Library staff in the Royal College of Physicians
of Edinburgh (RCPE), while preparing a recent exhibition, has highlighted
that doctors were concerned about the harmful effects of smoking on
young people over 400 years ago and that one doctor went so far as
to propose that tobacco should be renamed as “Youths-bane”,
given its adverse health effects.