LITERARY WORK AND TOBACCO.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume X, Issue 495, 6 October 1882, Page 7

LITERARY WORK AND TOBACCO.

Ix response to a circular recently sent out by Mr. Arthur Beade, who has been collecting information as to the habits of literary men in regard to stimulants, the Abb 6 Moigno giveß an interesting and and characteristic record of his experiences. Tbe letter, appearing in his paper, Les Mondes, states that he has published 150 volumes, email and great ; that he scarcely ever leaves his work table, and never takes walking exercise ; yet he never has a trace of headache, or brain-weariness, or constipation, or any form of urinary trouble) etc. He never has recourse for his work to stimulants, coffee, alcohol) tobacco, etc., a statement which the sequel shows to need qualification. Snuff-taking he has sometimes practised, but he vigorously condemns it. He has learnt 12 foreign languages by a method of his own, and with regard to his acquirements in philology and chronology he says : " I was one of the most extraordinary personalities of my time, and Francois Arago sometimes laughingly threatened to Jhave me burned as a sorcerer." On one occasion, when in Munich for a few weeks and spending his evenings with Bararian savantt, who each smoked four or five cigars and drank Jtwo or three pots of beer daily (Steinhill, the most illustrious, boasted of smoking 6,000 cigars a year), the Abbe came to smoke three or four cigars a day. He had also anew taken to snuff, so that, when preparing his calculus of variations, a very difficult mathematical work, be wonld empty his snuff-box (which held 25 grammes) in a day. But one day he was surprised to find himself painfully unable to recall the meaning of foreign words, and remember dates with which be had been familiar. Thereupon be formed a heroic resolution, and since August 31, 1863, when he smoked three cigars and took 25 centimes worth of snuff, he has, up to the 25th of June, 1882, touched neither. This was, for him, a complete resarrection, not only of memory, but of general health and well-being ; he has had indefinite capacity of work, unconscious digestion, perfect assimilation of food (of which be can take more), &c. For the rest, he mentions that he takes a small cup of black coffee in the morning, and when all but two or three spoonfuls has been drunk, he adds a small spoonful of brandy or other alcoholic liquor. This is his ration of stimulants. He goes to bed about nine, and rises at fire, " full of vigour." The Abbe is over 80.— Times.