The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1889-12-23
DEADLY HASHEESH.
1t often Brings Very In
pleasant Dreams.
SOM REMARkAsLE FANcIEs.
A Patient who Imagined Her Body Di-
vided in Half After Taking
Dose OF IRdian Hemp.


when taken IN certain doses produces
pleasant dreams and fancies is . fact well
known In the East. where under the name
of hasheesh il is frequently given before
battle by chieftainS to their followers, IN
order 10 destroy their fear and I'll them
with supernatural frenzy. The dreamy
Turk INDUCES in it, owing 70 the delightful
fancies il creates; but this does not hold
true for the more practical nations. In
the more civilized countries of the West.
Indian hemp does not always produce
pleasant hailucinatiOns-in fact they are
often disagreeablr- One lady, after its sd
Ininistration. imagined her body divided
in half, the lower portion running away.
Under the dreadful apprehension that life
would cease il they were not quickly re-
united, she gave chase to the seeding
lower half Whether she caught it or not
l do not know, but sleep or consciousness
probably supervened, as she is well today.
4 Mrs. r., OF Baltimore. was similarly
affected. She imagined her toes leaving
her one by one; then her lower limbs, her
fingers, forearms. arms and lower part of
her trunk followed, and Just as her heart
was struggling TO escape she awoke.
These dreams were undoubtedly terrible
illusion, etc, however, may be neither
pleasing nor displeasing, only inconyenient-
A certain gentleman susceptible to the drug
walked distance of ten miles or more,
visited several friends, acting nationally all
the time. bat without the slightest knowl-
edge of what he had done. He was sur
prised on finding himself at the extreme
end OF the city without knowing how he
got there. When he subsequently learned
OF the visits he made, carrying on CONVEX
sation in natural manner, appearing only
trifie duh, he could scarcely believe it.
Another man. when under its influence.
knew what he was doing, but had no idea
OF distance. This was the cause Of many
amusing incidents and nearly an accident.
After having collided with number of
men, women and ash barrels ne started to
cross a street and went directly into the
middle of horse car, which he imagined a
half block away. Some kind gentleman.
seeing his plight, and thinking him either
blind or drunk. offered his escort home,
which service was accepted.
A well-known doctor says of his exper-
fence:
81 had been troubled with persistent
headache, and hearing cannabis Indica
might be of service, took some. accident
ally an overdose. Dinner was just over,
and was sitting in my studyroom reading
a surgical treatise After an hour or so OF
reading, the letters seemed TO rise from the
paper and, growing larger and larger,
would melt away together, leaving the page
a perfect blank. Thinking my eyes were
at fault, rubbed them and started to read
again. The same thing was repeated, and
closing my eyes for moment. the deiusion
commenced.
L heard music and drumming as If in
the distance, and looking in the direction
from whence it seemed to come, i saw
soldiers dressed in gala uniform, preceded
by bands playing the most delicious melo-
dies. As they approached the music be-
came more and more distinct, until they
passed before me in review.
''They were all tall. muscular fellows,
at least six foot two. some mounted, most
on foot. Some were dressed like the
Russian hussars of the guard with scarlet
trousers and Hessian boots and huge bear
skin caps. their white furred and en-
embroidered doimans hanging gracefully
from their shoulders as they rode by.
Others were like the various body guards
OF different nations, dressed with steel
breast-plates and barred helmets. Some
resembled the old Hungarian hfe-guards.
ali scarlet, with dress coats and beaver
caps. Others ike the cuirassiers, the
lancers, the dragons and the chassenrs
cheval Some had high plumed hats, and
gun in saddle. like the Wellington life
guards OF England; and Others were in the
gay uniforms of Spain and Italy.
There were soldiers of times medieval
and modern. There we're warriors from
Greece, with their barred limbs, white skirts
and dropping fezzes, carrying scimetars
and Arabian guns Then came some uni
formed like the soldiers of India, Tartary
and China. Many were dressed as the
ancient Greeks and Romans. Some had
the gaudy costumes Of Persia; others were
simply clad, like those OF Carthage. Then
came soldiers of the Middle Ages armed cap
a-pie on helmeted chargers bearing heavy
lances and escuscheoned shields. Then
followed an interval of naked Nubians,
black as night, with eyes like FIRE.
after these marched those whom ad-
mire so much-no display, but in plain and
modest gray-our own suaburnt swarthv
warriors. The music, varying as the diff
ferent soldiers passed 20 suit each nations
character, became fainter and fainter. until
it died away in the distance. And then
aweke refreshed. I"