Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1895-03-15
HAsHEESH SMOKING
4 PREVAILING HABIT AMONG THE
 TURKS AND PERSIANs.

xe Produces Vivid Dreannss Sometimes
 causes Terrible Suffering and Is Always
 Dangerous-Il1citly Sold In the Bazaars
 of Constantinople.
 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. It is strictly illegal to buy or sell this. aud the vendor made a great show of mystery about the transaction. besides charging me ten times the right prica It is a soft black stick or coll. made with indian hemp and sundry sweet es. seneca It may either be drunk with water, eaten as 1t is. smoked in hubble hubbles or smoked in little terra cotta pipea
 IL Is said to have the power of con- ferring dual personality upon those who take 1t 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. bus 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 De the com. monest effects of the drug, but 1t affects different people In different ways. and so some got no further than bad head ache.
 It has been used by magioians eVeT since the middle ages. remember dur ing the esoterio Buddhism oraze some years ago B friend of mine who was bitten by 1t got hold of some hasheesh and ate 1t. in the expectation of being able to project his soul across the gar den. The hasheesh was badly mixed, and & heavy dose of 1t had no effect what ever.
 He found that his soul persisted In remaining where 1t 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 beexten- aively smoked there. especially among tho Persians. told my guide that ! must see this sight, aud after 8 great deal of trouble I managed to get taken to real hasheesh den. It was a fairly large square room, with diyan run ming all around 1t. The walls were whitowashed, and the carpets on the Hoor were cheap and shabby. One oom- mon oil lamp hung from the ceiling, with a big green shade. The center of the room was empty, and there were no tables or looking glasses in 1t. Two men were sQuatting Turkish fashion on the diyan.
 For long time they seemed to be in kind of trance. slabbering at the oor- ners of their lips and muttering like madmen. After 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- nato length.
 An attendant passed by with @ 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 f1t waa Rt an end.
 His reason gradually seemed to get the upper hand. and he proceeded to express his wonder that he could have fanoied that his nose had grown so long. Then. putting his hand up to 1t. he re- marked. "All the same, 1t is hurting mo oonfoundedly-just as If some one had twisted 1t roughly" And, sure enough, the nose was unnaturally red It 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 of it 1 was told story of man who had taken hasheesh with the determination to penetrate beyond tho grave and find out all about the fu- tuTe 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 indistinot Every thing seemed to grow dark around him, and be called for light. Then he stretched out bis limbs and remained fixed and immovable. A cold thick sweat was all over him. and the pallog of death was on his face
 Then the attendant thought 1t 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 and absently slipped cup of coffee that was brought to him. When he recovered his senses completely. he was very angry with the attend dant for interfering with him just as he had been on the point of penetrat- ing the unknown.
 It may be mentioned that the word assassin" Is derived from "hasheesh- ian " a takor 0f haobaaah