The Pioche weekly record. [volume] (Pioche, Nev.) 1877-1900, 1895-09-12
HASHEESH SMOKERS.
NARCOTIC IN INDIA THAT HAS Pc
CuLlAR EFFECTS.

4 Tho Use of G Vegetable Among o Savage
African People Transformed Their Ma.
tures-Hasheesh Makes Some People
Peaceful and Others Drunk.
Alcohol, opium and cocaine are the |
cause of endless woe to humanity. |
What if something could be found
which could be substituted for these
posons and at the same time have
pleasing and beneficial influence on
man. and instead of making him wild
would quiet him as did the Tyre Of Or
pheus? The African traveller, Wiss-
mann, describes in detail the cuitiva-
\ ton and use of tbs iambcs among the
\ former cannibal inhabitants of Lubuku,
nv which their customs and manners
were made so mild that it was even for
bidden by them to shed the blood of an
4 imals. This people, who before had
been aggressive leaders in wars, are now
4 living in peace. Villages which hereto
fore had been engaged in litter feuds
became friendly. Laws and customs of
the most peaceful kind were introduced,
with the result that the country into
which strangers had never before ven
& tured was open to all.
This peaceful disposition, as also this
antagonism to tho shedding Of the blood
of animals, points to characteristic fea-
ture of an old oriental people. These
are the Indians. The same herb which
made the cannibals Of Lubuku the
friends of men, and which they call
"bashilange," has been known to the In
dams for centuries as an intoxican.. It
is the Indian hemp. In the east the in
toxicant extract is made out of the bios
SONS and out of the whole plant. Gen
orally it is called "hasheesh," which sig
nifes merely hemp. 1t is chewed like
tobacco, or smoked as such, or the juice,
called "damamesk," is used with sugar
and almonds or whisky.
s& In moderate amounts the Indian hemp
and its preparations have mild effect
on the nervous system and produce 8
pleasant state of feeling. at any rate
among the orientals Larger quantities
produce intoxication. In the east the
number of those who use the hasheesh is
computed at between 200,0O0,000 and
30O,OOO,O0O. Physicians are not all agreed
as to the effect of the drug, some claim
ing that it produces nausea, heart beat
ing, dryness in the throat. When fully
efficient, it produces the feeling of pleased
intoxication and the most agreeable and
pleasurable thoughts. Thereupon fol-
lows sleep, deep and dreamless, and on
the following morning the pleasant Wis
ions are still real and present. That
opium or alcohol eventually destroys
those who use it to excess goes without
< ~, al %ho off M
the hemp chewing on the negro is won
derfully quieting.
Wissmann mentions several African
people among whom hemp smoking has
been firmly introduced as habit, espe
cially the Waniamesi. He says he is
convinced that the effect of this hemp OF
the negro is to make him milder and
more gentle and to make him more &C
cessible to the influences of civilization
although it does have to certain exten
an evil influence on the body, which in
fuence however, is generally exagger
ated Most remarkable is the mannel
in which Judgment of God" is secured
by the hemp smokers. Those that ar
accused continue the smoking Of heml
until the guilty one is compelled to max
a confession. On the other hand, tn
thieves of India use this hemp for tn
purpose of pursuing their work. The.
secretly make hole in the house ant
fill it with fumes of hemp smoke. Thi
has its effect on the people of the house
and when the thieves enter they tin'
them in the most agreeable humor, in
capable Of understanding what Is goin
on and even welcoming the marauder
with the most pleasant words and ger
lures. These statements are from tn
travels of Won Bibra.
Then the hasheesh smokers frequentl
geS into state much resembling hyl
notism, in which it is possible to plat
the members of the body in any pos
ton and to treat the body as though
were all made of joints. The similarit
between hypnotism and the effects I
T hasheesh smoking is so great that DIR. vc
Schrenk- Notzig of Munich made speci
investigation Of this subject. 1t is we
known that when person is hypnotic
single word or threatening action su
fees to throw the subject into spasms
rage. The authority just mentioned h
discovered that in a similar way pc
son under the influence Of hasheesh CT
be affected. He even discovered tn
persons who do not submit to ordina
hypnotism can be put into this sta
through the chewing or smoking of has
eesh. The faculty most influenced by IL
narcotic is the imagination. The INN
diate present is idealized into the mt
beautiful and fantastic forms. Heari
Is made finer, and the finest strains
music affect as they never did before
Lelpsic Daheim.
Surprised at Clerical Uneasiness.
DR.. Berrian, a former rector of Trim
parish in New York city, was an int
ferent preacher, but fine executive c