Why did people used to think smoking was good for you?

Question: Why did people used to think smoking was good for you?
- Keywords:
  body,
  cigarette,
  health,
  human,
  smoking
Asked by ibs to Anna, Hayley, Iain, Rebecca on 16 Jun 2015.
- anon answered on 16 Jun 2015:
  
  People used to think that tobacco had a disinfectant effect, that it could kill bacteria, relieve headaches and so on. People thought it was some sort of medicinal herb. Fortunately, nowadays everybody knows that smoking is not good for you.

Question: Why did people used to think smoking was good for you?