Tobacco was once a plague remedy, until 1962 research showed that smoking causes cancer

mind & bodyWellcome Collection1604–1962 · England

Tobacco was once a plague remedy, until 1962 research showed that smoking causes cancer

the gist

Tobacco reached Europe in the 16th century and was quickly adopted as a cure-all, and the Royal College of Physicians recommended it in its 1618 pharmacopoeia. During the 1665 plague, smoke was thought to ward off bad air, and Georgian physicians used tobacco-smoke enemas to revive drowning victims. The turn came in 1962, when the RCP's Smoking and Health report, using research by Richard Doll and Austin Bradford Hill, showed that smoking causes cancer. Official advice then shifted from searching for healthier cigarettes to encouraging people to quit.

how it works

Early physicians believed smoke warmed the body and cured cold and drowsiness, and inhaling seemed a direct way to deliver medicine to the lungs. Later research showed that the chemicals in smoke damage airways and cells, which is why the same habit became a leading cause of cancer.

so what

Tobacco's journey from medicine to hazard shows how evidence can overturn centuries of medical belief. It led to anti-smoking campaigns and, in Britain, a ban on smoking in enclosed workplaces in 2006 and 2007.

the bigger pattern

Medical endorsement has been used to sell tobacco before. In the 1930s Camel advertisements claimed doctors smoked and recommended it.

fun fact

King James VI and I wrote A Counterblaste to Tobacco in 1604, attacking the habit as harmful to the lungs.

Wellcome Collection · CC BY 4.0

Illustrative photo · Susanne Nilsson, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

source: Wellcome Collection ↗

historyWikipediaclassic1336–1565 · Karnataka, India

Hampi was once one of the world's largest cities, until its Vijayanagara capital was destroyed in 1565

the gist

Hampi is a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Karnataka, India, with more than 1,600 surviving remains spread over 4,100 hectares. It was the capital of the Vijayanagara Empire from 1336 to 1565. Travellers from Persia and Portugal described it as a prosperous, wealthy and grand city with temples, markets and farms along the Tungabhadra River. By 1500 it was estimated to be the world's second-largest city after Beijing, and probably India's richest at the time. In 1565 a coalition of Muslim sultanates defeated the Vijayanagara Empire, its capital was conquered and destroyed, and the city was left in ruins. Hampi remains a religious centre, with the active Virupaksha Temple at its heart.

how it works

The city was built around a fortified core with temples, markets and water structures along the river, supplied by an extensive network of roads and waterworks. When the empire fell, the city was not rebuilt, so its stone monuments were left standing.

so what

Hampi shows how quickly a great city can vanish after a military defeat, and how a ruined capital can remain sacred. Its ruins give historians a view of medieval South Asia that few other sites can match.

fun fact

The name Hampi comes from Pampa, an old name for the Tungabhadra River.

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia · text CC BY-SA 4.0

Image: Wikimedia Commons

source: Wikipedia ↗

2 min

politicsshortCNA2:01

False allegations about Singapore’s hand in Indonesia’s markets and a made-up meeting

from CNA

CNA Verify has found close to 400 posts pushing falsehoods tying Singapore to Indonesia’s stock market rout and to a secret meeting that never took place. Together, they drew nearly 12 million views, and some were circulated by accounts that appeared to be working in concert, across multiple social media platforms.

Here’s how the disinformation campaign targeting Singapore was uncovered.

on YouTube: CNA ↗