<html><head><meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html charset=windows-1252"></head><body style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space; "><div>(I checked Snopes. They don't have anything on the veracity of this curiosity. M.S.) </div><div><div class="moz-forward-container"><div><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="position: static; z-index: auto; "><tbody><tr><td valign="top"><div><span _yuid="yui_3_1_1_3_1354259359406103" style="font-size: 24pt; ">Thought you would enjoy this educational moment in American history. Can you name this strange old tool? Do you know what it is?</span></div><div><blockquote style="margin-bottom: 5pt; "><blockquote style="margin-bottom: 5pt; "><blockquote style="margin-bottom: 5pt; "><blockquote style="margin-bottom: 5pt; "><div style="margin-bottom: 24pt; "><div align="center" style="text-align: center; "><span style="font-size: 10pt; "><br><img id="8a2720d5-c122-4af3-b48b-b53a018eaa52" apple-height="yes" apple-width="yes" height="381" width="480" src="cid:part1.09040707.07080605@mcn.org"></span></div></div><div style="margin-right: 2.5in; "><div align="center" style="text-align: center; "><span style="color: rgb(31, 73, 125); font-size: 11pt; "></span></div></div><div style="margin-right: 2.5in; "><div align="center" style="text-align: center; "><span style="color: rgb(31, 73, 125); font-size: 11pt; "></span></div></div><div align="center" style="text-align: center; "><span style="font-size: 24pt; ">Tobacco Smoke Enemas (1750s – 1810s)</span></div><div><div _yuid="yui_3_1_1_3_135425935940699"><span style="font-size: 24pt; "><div><br>The tobacco enema was used to infuse tobacco smoke into a patient’s rectum for various medical purposes, <br>primarily the resuscitation of drowning victims.<br><br>A rectal tube inserted into the anus was connected to a fumigator and bellows that forced the smoke towards the rectum.<br><br>The warmth of the smoke was thought to promote respiration. <br>Doubts about the credibility of tobacco enemas led to the popular phrase “blowing smoke up your ass.”</div><div><br></div></span><span style="font-size: 10pt; "><br></span><span style="font-size: 24pt; ">Amazingly, it is still in constant use in Washington D.C., by the best Senators and Representatives money can buy.<br></span></div></div><div _yuid="yui_3_1_1_3_135425935940699"><span style="font-size: 24pt; "><br></span></div><div _yuid="yui_3_1_1_3_135425935940699"><span style="font-size: 24pt; "><br></span></div></blockquote></blockquote></blockquote></blockquote></div></td></tr></tbody></table></div><div><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="position: static; z-index: auto; "><tbody><tr><td valign="top"><blockquote style="margin-bottom: 5pt; "><blockquote style="margin-bottom: 5pt; "><blockquote style="margin-bottom: 5pt; "><blockquote style="margin-bottom: 5pt; "><div _yuid="yui_3_1_1_3_135425935940699"><span style="font-size: 24pt; "><br></span></div></blockquote></blockquote></blockquote></blockquote></td></tr></tbody></table></div></div></div><div><br></div></body></html>