The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1895-05-17
HASHEESH SMOKING.
A PREVAILING HABIT AMONG THE
TURKS AND PERSlANS.

It Produces Vivid Dreams, Sometimes
Causes Terrible Suffering and Is Always
Dangerous--Illicitly Sold In the Bazaars
of ConstantinopIe.
A traveller returned from an extensive
sojourn in Turkey has this to say of the
famous drug:
Among my purchases at the drugs
bazaar at Constantinople was hasheesh.
1t is strictly illegal to buy or sell this,
and the vender made great show of
mystery about the transaction, besides
charging me ten times the right price.
1t is soft black stick or coil, made
with indian hemp and sundry sweet es-
senoes. 1t may either be drunk with
water, eaten as it is, smoked in hubble
bubbles or smoked in little terra Gotta
pipes.
1t is said to have the power of con-
ferring a dual personality upon those
who take it. Their dreams are extraor-
dinarily vivid, and every detail of them
is remembered for long time after
ward. They do not go off to sleep, but
have kind of fit, which does not sound
particularly agreeable, though for some
reason or other is evidently popular.
These at least are said to be the COM
monest effects Of the drug, but it affects
different people in different ways, and
so some get no further than a bad head
ache.
1t has been used by magicians ever
since the middle ages. I remember dur
ing the esoteric Buddhism craze some
years ago a friend Of mine who was
bitten by it got hold of some hasheesh
and ate it, in the expectation of being
able to project his soul across the gar
den. The hasheesh was badly mixed, and
a heavy dose of it had no effect what
ever
He found that his soul persisted in
remaining where it was. So he grew
bold and helped himself to another
lump, in which all the strength of the
hemp happened to be concentrated. The
result was that two doctors had to walk
him up and down the garden all night
to prevent his falling into sleep that
would know no waking.
Though its use is forbidden in Con-
stantinople, hasheesh is said to be extern
sively smoked there, especially among
the Persians. l told my guide that I
must see this sight, and after a great
deal of trouble I managed to get taken
to real hasheesh den. 1t was fairly
large square room, with a divan rum
ming all around it. The walls were
whitewashed, and the carpets on the
floor were cheap and shabby. One COM
mon oil lamp hung from the ceiling,
with big green shade. The center of
the room was empty, and there were no
tables or looking glasses in it. Two
men were squatting Turkish fashion on
the divan.
For long time they seemed to be in
kind of trance, slabbering at the COR
ners Of their lips and muttering like
madmen. After a short time one Of
them became livelier and more excited.
He burst into wild laugh which shook
his whole body. He placed his hand to
his nose, and beginning to stroke it at
the top passed his hand down into the
air as if his nose had reached an inordi-
nate length.
An attendant passed by with a coffee
cup, and the smoker made wild effort
to turn aside his head, angrily telling
the attendant to be off, as he was tread
ing on his nose. Then came another
wild burst of laughter, and the fit was
at an end.
His reason gradually seemed to get
the upper hand, and he proceeded to
express his wonder that he could have
faneied that his nose had grown so long.
Then, putting his hand up to it, he re.
marked, ''All the same, it is hurting
me confoundedly-just as il some one
had twisted it roughly" And, sure
enough, the nose was unnaturally red.
1t is said that under the influence Of
hasheesh you know neither time nor
place, and that if you fix your thoughts
on some place, however distant, that you
have never seen you obtain clear and
accurate image ofit was told a story
Of a man who had taken hasheesh with
the determination to penetrate beyond
the grave and find out all about the fu-
ture life.
He soon exclaimed that he was feel
ing very cold, then that he was going
to die. He grew very pale, his feet be-
came numb, and the cold began to get
complete possession of him. His sense
of hearing became indistinct. Every
thing seemed to grow dark around him,
and he called for light. Then be stretched
out his limbs and remained fixed and
immovabie. A cold thick sweat was all
over him, and the pallor Of death was
on his face.
Then the attendant thought it was
time to come to the rescue. and he rub
bed his face and nostrils with lemon
juice and made him sit up. The man
presently opened his eyes aud absently
slipped cup of coffee that was brought
to him, When he recovered his senses
completely, he was very angry with the
attendant for interfering with him just
as he had been on the point of pepetEat.
ing the unknown.
1t may be mentioned that the word
.iassassin'' is derived from "hasheesh-
ian, )" taker of hasheesh.
ErnnTisk, NNsalI Gno., m. U-suo-.~V