Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1888-05-16
HE DRANK HAsHIsH.
The Sad Results Of a Drug Clerks
Terrible Blunder.
An Unfortunate Pm-Mixer 1TaIks About
the Power Ofthe Extract OfIndIan Hemp
and Describes How n Dose of IL
Affected Him.

A few miles from this city lives a man
who was once as fine drug clerk as there
was in the city of Boston, says the Man.
chester IN. H. Union. His name was Ran
dolph r. Sanford, and he is at present resid-
ing with his widowed mother. Sanford is
some over forty years Of age, and is CON-
plete wreck His hair is as white as snow.
and his left side has been paralyzed from
the crown Of his head to his feet While
mixing chemicals at the last place in Boston
where he worked, an unforeseen combination
ensued, and an explosion was the result.
ms explosion proved most disastrous to
Sanford He got the bulk of the fiyin1
liquid in his face, and his nose was fairly
eaten on. He was i'll for long time, and
during his sickness his whole left side was
paralyzed, as stated above Within the last
three years he has partially recovered the
use OF his afflicted side, and in the summer
time manages TO get around and do a little
garden work, the Sanford place being noted
for the quality Of the vegetables raised
and the beauty of the floral plats. Sanford
Is most interesting conversationalist and
Is full OF stories regarding the life of drug
clerk. His experience with hashish is worth
reproducing. Hashish is the foundation of
the same powerful extract that figures in
Monte Cristo. The name by which it goes
among druggists is ''extractum cannabis
ndica," or extract of Indian hemp. The
liquid preparation resembles ink in appear
ance-a dark green ink. Its fragrance is of
narcotic odor, and in taste it is slightly
warm, bitterish and acid. In Hindostan,
Persia, and other parts of the east, hemp
has habitually been employed as an intoxi-
eating agent. The parts used are the tops
OF the plant and resinous product obtained
from it. The plant is cut after Towering,
and formed into bundles from two to four
feet long by three inches in diameter, which
are sold in the bazars by the name Of gun
JAN. The resin obtained is formed into balls
by the natives, and is smoked like tobacco,
with which it is said to be frequently mixed
An infusion or decoction of the drink is
sometimes used as an exhilarating drink
- Some eight or ten years ago." says San
ford, ~ was at work for prominent drug
gist in Boston. For some little time had
been suffering with dyspepsia, and the all
ment bothered me so that life became I'M
bearable. 1 at last mixed up q decoction
that gave me great relief 1 was to take it
before meals, and placed the bottle on a
shelf behind the prescription counter among
other bottles which are usually found in
that place. One noon went to take my
medicine. l took down what thought to
be the right bottle, and, discarding the use
OF spoon, placed the bottle to my mouth
eAN WIN q SWdlON. Inc
taste told me that had made mistake l
looked at the bottle and-well, my friend,
had taken large dose Of Indian cannabis,
or otherwise hashish. l knew what the re-
suits would be. staggered back to the rear
part OF the store. how queer 1 felt. How
hght L was growing. Up, up, up went
until my head bobbed against the ceiling. /
was like a cork floating on disturbed water.
glided along, and could look down and see
the huge bottles, each one with hideous
face laughing at me- The stools on the mar
bic floor seemed to want 10 keep me COM
pany, and their click, click, on the marble
floor sounded like thunder in my ears. Sud-
denly was plunged into inky blackness
From the black nothingness flashed out
bright balls of light. 1 reached the sofa and
sank down upon it. My tongue seemed to
swell, and tried in vain to scream, but no
sound issued. / seemed to know that
there was long, long hour before nv fell
low-clerk would be back from his dinner,
and then he might not come into the rear
room and discover my condition. The
events OF days and weeks came before nv
mind in all the details, and saw faces
beautiful faces-angelic in their divinity,
which seemed 70 beckon to me and then
vanish with hldeous laugh. Again was 1
tossed to the ceiling and then thrown by
room to another. felt no conclusion, but
bounced about like huge football Then
fell back INTO dreamy contemplation and
years seemed to pass by. Fantastic pict-
uros were worked, my limbs felt weighted
with lead, just the opposite to my expert
ence OF what seemed to me years ago L
heard somebody say: why, Rolphie, old
fellow, what's the matterl Rolphiel
RolphieP The words reverberated like
thunder. My shop-mate had returned.
Again he tried TO shake me to myself, and
never hated man so cordially as hated
him at that moment. He got a doctor, and
1 tell you, my friend, they had no easy
time TO bring me to myself. Every word
they uttered surged into my brain and
seemed to jar me to pieces. suffered
from that experience long afterward, and
1t appears even at this day, when think it
over, that have that feeling coming on, so
powerful was the impression made on me
at that time"