Snuff

Snuff is made from grinding or pulverising tobacco leaves. The first snuff was sniffed until it made the inhaler sneeze. This quickly became all the rage in England not long after tobacco was discovered among the Native American populations in the New World. A pinch could be placed between the thumb and a finger, put on the back of the hand, or there were special sniffing devices. Men carried it around in special snuff boxes.

Later, snuff was dipped by placing it between the lower lip and gum. This was different than chewing tobacco, which was usually inserted into the cheek area, but the user spit out tobacco juice with both. Snuff, however, was ground into a finer powder.

There were strong, mild, and sweet varieties of snuff, and flavored snuff became common. During the first half of

the 20th century, snuff could be purchased in small tin cans or in glass containers. Housewives often saved the glass ones to use as drinking glasses, and they've become a collector's item.

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