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will not purchase it if he can get the freshly made article. By the end of a
second year it has become in his belief quite inert and is not fit for use.
Experiments with animals show the same result. Monkeys exhibit slighter
symptoms when gánjá of a year old is administered than when fresh gánjá is
used; perhaps one-third the effect might be safely given as an estimate of the
result with the older drug.
Cats to whom extract of gánjá a year old was administered exhibited
district physiological effects ; those that received two years' old gánjá extract
showed very slight effects; the effects of extract from three years' old gánjá were
imperceptible.
Surgeon-Lieutenant-Colonel E. G. RUSSELL, who has for many years been
interested in the subject of gánjá and hemp, and has made a series of experi-
ments that bear on this subject, has very generously placed at my disposal
a précis of his observations. As he has permitted me to make any use of these
results that may seem desirable—and as the results are of the highest interest and
value—it seems most fitting, in spite of some repetition of facts being thereby
involved, that Dr. Russell's remarks be presented verbatim.
" P H Y S I O L O G I C A L E F F E C T S .
" 1. Leaves, larger, and stem : —Effects little in case of either cultivated or
wild plant.
" The leaves and stems of wild gánjá are much used as a medicine for
cattle, for cure of colic and fever. In my experiments on men, the only
marked effect was diuresis from drinking infusion of fresh (non-dried) leaves
and stem ; very slight exhilarant effect, in some cases, from mature plants ;
when smoked, none.
"Similar infusions of fresh, green, larger leaves, and stem of cultivated
gánjá, i.e., below 4 inches from flower-heads, produced in addition some intoxi-
cant results, though much depended on the size of the leaves; the upper stem
and leaves (nearer the flower-heads, but more than 4 inches below it) were more
intoxicant than the lower parts and larger leaves (the latter being rarely obtain-
able); when dried and smoked, in either case, the results were practically nil.
"2. Flower-heads (ripe) with 4 inches of upper stem and leaves on it :—
(a) Wild gánjá.—Whether smoked in dry state or taken as infusion
either in dry or fresh state, the specific effects produced by
female heads was slight. Intoxication, delirium, could not be
produced ; very slight exhilaration with reddening of conjunc-
tiva sometimes ensued, but not even this in persons accustomed
to use of excise (cultivated) gánjá. Effect less when smoked.
Male plants (flower-heads) of wild gánjá; produced practically
no effect beyond those noted as caused by the leaves and stem.
(b) Cultivated (excise, commercial) gánjá :—
(i)Male flower-heads in fresh green state given as infusion
produced little effect, whether mature or immature, slight
exhilaration, much as from larger leaves and lower stem.
(ii)Female flower-heads in fresh green state.—An infusion made
of these seemed more powerful and more rapid in action
than an equivalent amount when dried into the condition
met with in commerce, and then taken as a similar infusion.
The effect varied with the condition of maturity; the
more mature, the greater the effect.
(iii) Male flower-heads dried.—Given as infusion or smoked seemed
to produce less effect than the fresh (green) heads; less
when smoked than as infusion.
(iv)Female flower-head dried (i.e. commercial excise gánjá ).—The
same quantity given as infusion produced greater intoxi-
cant effects than when smoked, and effects were quickly
induced; effects as 2 to 1.
"I. Mental effects— appear in from 3 to 5 minutes; exhilaration and
excitement of a pleasing nature; the subject is talkative and merry, laughs and