The copper country evening news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 18??-1907, 1897-07-15
VICTIM OF HASHEESH
PlTlABlE PLIGHT OF A ST. LOUIS
GIRL FROM ITS USE.
Indian Camp and Is Now a Physical
Wreck-Medieal Men Deeply Interested.


Indian Camp and Is Now a Physical
Wreck Medical Men Deeply Interested.
Two years ago a blithe young girl,
vivacious, refined and healthy. now a
startling specimen of wrecked woman
hood-prematurely aged, careworn and
feeble.
Such is brief synopsis of the unfor-
tunate transformation experienced by
the daughter of an old and aristocratio
st. Louis family. The story Of this
blighted life reads like tale of fiction.
interviewer in the sad recital is thread
of romance.
For some time past members of the
st. Louis medical fraternity have been
discussing this young woman's peculiar
case. 1t is of rare interest from med
ical standpoint.
The victim is slave to Indian hemp.
herbal drug.
DR.. Ed +. Randall, the physician in
charge of City dispensary No. /, has
| undertaken to cure the unfortunate girl
for, notwithstanding her haggard ap-
pearancs, she is but girl Only men,
bers of the family and interested ply
sicians know the whole truth. The
young woman's friends-members OF
her social set-observe her debilitated
condition, but they have never known
that she is the victim of strangely fas-
cinating drug.
/ InIia,, ha,,,v, 80 horh that
luxuriously in Oklahoma, Arkansas,
Texas, Indian Territory and other por-
tions of the southwest. 1t has been in
use by the red men for many genera
tions.
About Is months ago the young wom-
an, whose name DR.. Randall declines
to divulge, went to Oklahoma to visit
relatives. She had been reared in st.
Louis, and for 10 years had known
nothing but city life. A cousin living
on ranch near Perry, o. T., asked the
young woman to make her visit. The
Invitation was accepted. Riding habits
and other outdoor apparel were packed
in big trunk. Only a few weeks pre-
vious the light hearted girl had grad.
uated from school. The summer outing
in Oklahoma was pleasant prospect
II am going to have grand time
will see Indians, buffalo and other wild
west sights, the happy young girl said
to her friends who called to say goodby.
At last the st. Louis girl found
an opportunity to see the red men.
Frontier towns in this advanced age
are not really frontier towns, and
the Indians at Perry were very much
like the average white citizen in man
ner and action. This was too tame fol
the city visitor. She wanted to see the
Indian ON his native heath, surrounded
by his own primitive environments.
: Anxious to crafty her whim, the
young woman's relatives took an out
, ing for a week or two. In farm wag
on they drove about the country, search
ing for the widest spots. Crossing th'
boundary line of Oklahoma, they trav
eled into the Indian country proper
There they found scenes that were EN-
: chanting to the young schoolgirl.
One day the tourists visited CAM
where several noted chiefs had congre
gated. The young woman complained
I of headache One of the "big Injuns'
J, fastened to give her some medicine.
: was Indian hemp in its native state
: | lust as the Indians had gathered ant
8 prepared it, The amount taken wa
rather large Immediately the headach
ceased, and the girl experienced de
y lightful exhilaration.
e The young woman commented upol
l. the pleasant effects of the wonderfu
n medicine. Thus fattered, the Indian
{ gave her large quantity to carry ava
q with her. She asked for informatio
y concerning the herb and was told tina
it was Indian hemp. During the re
. mainder of her stay in Oklahoma sh
. kept herself happy by this artlflcla
e method. When the visitor returned [
b st. Louis she still had some OF the meo
icine. At last the stock was exhausted
Then she made druggist understan
e what she wanted by showing him
d sample-the last remaining allowance
n The druggist procured the weed III pre-
y pared form.
= From that time forward the step
70 ruin was easy. Gradually the doses bt
came larger duu lul SSl' - tiS"tNA ts'''
4 tity was required to produce the pleas
lie ant effect. Health rapidly declining
d something had to be done. DR.. Randa
t. was consulted.
NJ 1t was the first case of the kind b
- had ever encountered. He was interes
y ed, and at once made special study
u Cannabis indica. The young woman
u now under treatment, and Dr. Randa
a. hopes to restore her to health. This ca
D. only be accomplished, however, by toti
w abstinence from the alluring herb,
DR.. Randall says that in the entil
medical history of this country there al
ne but few cases of similar excess. In tt
% orient the use of the herb is more con
"a mon than morphine eating in America
- It is estimated that in India alone thel
nc are over 5000, 900 victims Of the hasl
at eesh habit. A small portion OF the pre-
ed aration produces increase OF appeti
I'd and cheerfulness. Larger doses produ'
hallucinations, delirium and sometime