The Bottineau pioneer. (Bottineau, N.D.) 1885-1895, 1888-10-18
HE DRANK HASHISH.
Remarkable Experience Or : Drng Clerk VII
Blundered In Taking Medicine.

Remarkable Experience d ! Drns Clerk who
Numbered n Taking Medicine.
Manchester Union.
But q few miles from this city lives
q man who was once as fine a drug
clerk as there was in the city Of Bos-
ton. But that was some time ago,
and no doubt he is forgotten by the
fraternity in that city. His name is
Rolphie r. Sanford, and hei is at pres
ent residing with his widowed mother,
who owns a fine residence not far
from Manchester. Sanford is some
over 40 years Of age, and is q com
plete wreck. His hair is as white as
snow, and his left side has been para
lyzed from the crown Of his head to
his feet. Besides this, while mixing
chemicals at the last place in Boston
where he worked, an unforeseen COM
bination ensued, and an explosion
was the result. This explosion proved
most disastrous to Sanford. He got
the bulk Of the flying liquid in his
face, and his lose was fairly
eaten off. He was i'll for a
long time, and during his sick
ness his whole left side was par
alyzed, as stated above For a num-
Der of years he has resided with his
mother. Within the last three years
he has partly recovered the use Of his
afflicted side and in the summer time
manages to get around and do a lit
tie garden work, the Sanford place
being noted for the quality of the
vegetables raised and the beauty of
the floral plants. Sanford is a most
interesting conversationalist, and is
full Of stories regarding the life Of a
drug clerk. in whose existence there
are many times crowded incidents
alike ludicrous, serious and full of the
terrible. His experience with hashish
is worth reproducing. Hashishi is the
foundation of the same wonderful ex-
tract that figures in Monte Cristo.
The name by which it goes among
druggists is "extractum cannabis
indice," or extract of Indian hemp.
The liquid preparation resembles ink
in appearances dark greenink. It's
fragrance is Of narcoti. odor, and
in taste it is slightly warm, bitterish.
and acid. In Hindostan, Persin and
otherparts ofthe East, hemp las shah
ituaIy been employed as an intoxicat-
ing agent. Theparts used are the tops
ofthe plant and a resinous product OBJ
tanned from it. The plant is cut
after Towering and formed into bum
dies from two to four feet long by
three inches in diameter, which are
sold in the bazaars by the name of
gunjah. Theresin obtained is formed
into balls by the natives, and is
smoked like tobacco, with which it is
said to be frequently mixed. An in
fusion or decoction of the drink is
sometimes used as an ex%hilarating
drink.
A representative Of the Union saw
Sanford some time ago, and as it
was just after dinner, and he had par
taken Of his meal with unusual relish,
he was Just in the mood for talking.
"Why, my boy" saidEhe, tsdrug clerks
OF cours have secrets. You want
me to tell you a little story, Ell? If:
| should tell you some of the secrets,
of course they would be secrets nc
longer, but I'll tell you a little Of my
experience with hashish. It's a stuff
thatIno one wants to NEEDLE with
with impunity, allow me to assure
you. If / had not been careless /
would not now be able to tell you my
experience with hashish. It was
some 8 or 10 years ago when I was
at work with a prominent druggist
in Boston. For some little time L
had been suffering with dyspepsia,
and the ailment bothered me SO that
life became unbearable. / at last
mixed up a decoction that gave me
great relief. Twas to take It before
meals and placed the bottle on a
shelf behind The prescription counter
among other bottles which are usual
ly found in that place. One noon I
went to take my medicine. / took
down what / thought to be the right
bottle, and discarding the use of a
spoon, / placed the orifce to my
mouth and took q large swolloW.
Horrors! The taste told me that I
had made a mistakel / looked at the
bottle and-wen my friend, I had
taken q large dose of Indian Gamma
bis, or otherwise hashish. I knew
what the results would be, / stag
gered back to the rear part of the
store. How queer / felt. How light
/ was growing. Up, up, up / went
until my head bobbed against theceil-
ing. I was like a cork floating on
disturbed water. / glided along and
could look down and see the huge
bottles, each one with q hideous face
laughing at me. The stool on the
marble floors seemed to want to keep
me company and their click, click, on
the marble floor sounded like thun-
der in my ears. Suddenly / was
plunged into inky blackness. From
the black nothingness flashed out
bright balls of light. I reached tile
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 a long, long
hour before my felloW-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
my mind in all the details and / saw
49, 49, I&t%EIE1 . n y EN$@IJ+aE - ~. 80