Tobacco Smoke Enema

The tobacco smoke enema, an insufflation of tobacco smoke into the rectum by enema, was a medical treatment employed by European physicians for a range of ailments. Tobacco was recognized as a medicine soon after its import from the New World, and while tobacco smoke was already used by Western practitioners against cold and drowsiness, applying it by enema was a technique learned from North American indigenous peoples. The procedure was used to treat gut pain and in attempts to resuscitate victims of near drowning, and liquid tobacco enemas were often given to ease the symptoms of a hernia. During the early nineteenth century the practice became obsolete because of poor efficacy and the risk of nicotine poisoning.