The Middlebury register and Addison County journal. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1883-1885, 1883-10-19
AN ORIENTAL STIMULANT.
|TRANaE HALLUCINATIoNsC CAUSED
BY BATTING HAsHEESH.
N Americas Resident of India De-
srriGc s tsis sensations After u 10 &c
of tic Drug.

Of &c bGttRs
An American who lived for several
|ears in India recently told the following
Tory of his experience with the we'll
|nown Eastern drug, Hasheesh or Canabis
|ldica ." Hasheesh," said the American,
is used by the natives of India as
imulant and intoxicant, its use being
bnfined to no special sect or class,
|Iough the natives of high caste are prob
| ply more addicted to this form of intoxi-
ftion than the lower orders. A native
lend, who was a confirmed hasheesh-
&ter, had often described the wonderful
pwer of the drug, and had repeatedly
hdeavored to overcome my prejudice
pol persuade me to make a trial of its
rtues. In an evil hour curiosity got
e better of prudence, and l took a
lall pellet of the dark-green aromatic
ste. The moment l swallowed it l
buld have given a round sum to have
d it safely in my hand again. How
GER, my native friend was with me, and
resolved to make no fuss about the
bitter and take the chance of any spe-
lily ill effects.
" 1t was after 10 o'clock at night when
ook the pill, and 1 remained for sew
hours talking with my friend, so that
was probably l o'clock when returned
my quarters and fell asleep almost as
pm as | blew out the candle. How
g l had been asleep l could not tell,
| awoke with start and without
t gradual return to full consciousness
ich is characteristic of healthy sleep.
ras wide-awake in an instant, every
Sc morbidly, acutely alive and con-
pus of peculiar feeling in my hands
arms as if l were holding the wires
a battery. The room was pitch dark.
1T that l must get light at once the
y blackness seeming to press me
yn and take actual shape and sub
pee. l reached out for the matches,
which l always kept supply on a
lie at my bedside, and an icy thrill
through me as l touched the cold,
sted body of snake. 1 tried to
hdraw my hand, but to my horror it
med paralyzed, and slowly and pain
y l dragged it from the loathsome
tact. Hours seemed to pass before l
nd myself sitting up in bed and star
toward the object of my fears through
thick gloom which surrounded me.
| tried to get out of bed to flee. |
in an agony of terror, but it seemed
weights were dragging me back
4, and hours more passed before my
dragging limbs had carried me to
mantelpicce With trembling fingers
uck a match. Slowly it famed up
lit one of the candles which stood
he end of the mantelpiece. The mo-
the light filled the room my panic
shed with the shadows, and looking
lrd the table I found the object of
errors was simply the long curled
of my hookah. which darkness and
Pverwrought nerves had transformed
some deadly reptile.
This sensation of numbness and ting
still continued. l looked at my
h and thought it had stopped, but
oser inspection l could see the lag
tinct and prolonged pause between
movement. This sense of time, or
+ loss of the perception of time,
perhaps the most marked effect of
experiment with the drug. /
up the water jug and long
e | had quenched my thirst
it down in dismay, for it seemed
disordered senses as if gallons of
had poured down my throat, when
lily had only drank a few ounces.
ng as | kept my eyes open there was
real suffering except the loss of all
of time. I looked repeatedly at my
and could only convince myself
bsely watching the secondhand it
OF stopped, for the few minutes
had lighted the candle seemed
ours, days, weeks. Suddenly l was
ssed with feeling of loneliness, an
|e desire for companionship, which
be so strong that l resolved to seek
'iend, whose house was within a
throw of my hotel. In dressing
ed many times, convinced that l
pc under some spell or in dream,
nly by repeatedly consulting my
could l assure myself that the
5 task of dressing was in reality
matter of few moments.
hen at last was prepared to seek
end | left my room and started on
proved a long and eventful journey.
bly, the change into the night air
ed the effects of the drug more
full, but at all events | lost con-
hess of time, place, even personal
Y, and in the few steps to the
of the man was seeking | lived
time, journeyed in other lands,
prominent parts in scenes which
through my brain with the speed
mining, only to give place to others
|ndless and bewildering panorama.
reached my destination the most
fleets had passed away, and by
le my knock was answered and |
omitted, an intense feeling of
hess and an increased feeling of
less and tingling had succeeded
lief period of intense excitement.
end soon treasured me when he
bked at my eyes and counted my
pnd in few moments ] sank into
sleep, waking late in the day
confused remembrance of what
sscd, like the uncertain memories
cam, and firm resolve to make
ire trial of the power of Indian
Pcoanuts as Steady Diet.
Fiji Times calls attention to the