The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1899-09-23
WAS A VICTIM
OF MALAJUANA
Strange Effects of Smoking the Wild
Mexican Hemp.
A DRUG WITH TWOF0LD ACTION.
Understandable Pleasures and Fearful
Torture of an american Who Was
Induacd 10 Try IL Wlile in
a aIeXiCan Prison.

1t was during the hestas. The party
mad cone tLe LuIl lights iu the afternoon
and was dlnng at the International Club.
n Cildad POrnrO Dlaz When t1c heavy
native cigars ana little Mexican cigarettes
WraI let ln corn snulks were brought in
With me coffee the tax turned % narcotics
and ln more Or Tess Interesting narrative
IAN AL the way from perQue tobacco to
cocaine. Nearly everybod spoke on the
subject al more or less length, except
S.ayden who listened at.teuiYely. but
sa-u u.tA'Ls. That is his way wnen he
l7 sure Ol Cd story. Finally. when tine
subject was about talked out. hc said.
did amy o. sou ever hear of mala-
juaua?' bat without waiting Tor an an-
sWer he continued, "Nel. j was a mala-
juana hend once IFS the biggest drug
oeVL of them aH. Tie stuff comes from
tnc dried leaves ana bark 0l q kind OF ma
tive hemp thai grows Wild an over SOUTH
em Mexico. It's victims usually smoke d.
mixed With tobacco il cigarette.
soon after our road began tO boom
Durango and ] got ml&ed up in Jaw suit
involving the title 90 some Durango lois.
just before the case was 10 Doe tried j was
arrested ON some preteXt OF another and
locked zap in the jail. incommunicalo. The
second day of my enforced isolation eX-
hausted my own supply of cigarettes. and.
was glad 90 avail myself OF the small un-
progressing package of cigarettes that
came along with my daily supply of food
and wafer I noticed something peculiar
about The first one that 1 lighted the
taste and OdOr were both neY to me. but
my reflections upon these qualities We're OF
the bfiefest duration.
STRANGE SENSATION
"lost OF you know how 10 feels TO turn
-.H..
you are dog tired and drift Oft with e
clear conscience into deep. untroub.ed
resuul sleep. We'll before + finished half
that cigarette that's the way / fet with
the sensation multiplied about ten times. I
felt as though ! was being gently lifted
from The floor of my eel. ON which 1 was
reclining when 4 began 90 smoke and
waited about I'm the air. ] felt 40 90
something soft and DE ghtfuiy soothing
touched ME all over. the sound of distant
music was in my ears, charming Vistas
peoD.ed with eXqu.site-y graceful forms
opened t0 my eyes. and in the midst Of
me comfort and restfalncss and beauty OF
it all l went beautifully 20 sleep.
cit must have been the afternoon of the
following day when 1 walked for there.
In its usual place. was my daily allowance
of food a fun jug 8 water. and-ano.har
package of cigarett s.. 1 was refreshed
and hungry and ] ate an the food that
had been brought me. IL was the first
time / had been able 10 relish the coarse
fare. OF course l Dit a cigarette as soon
as [ finished my meal / experienced only
the usual mildly narcotic effect OF tobac.
co. the only thing about my smoke That
was at an out of the ordinary being a
pungcnt aromatic fragrance totally un-
like anything ! had ever before eXpe-
renced which 1 found most pleasing. lt
was not until / lighted my third cigarette
that there was a repetition of anything
like my previous experience. Upon the
appearance Of It's first symptom . stopped
smoking. ] was convinced that the cigar
cites were drueged. and determined there
upon to smoke no more Of them
tSome hours aftcrWard / began 20 be
oppressed with nausea and other distress
fng sensations. Later my head seemed
ready To- split every bone and muscle in
my body ached: my flesh felt dead. as 81
it was dropping of my bones. my throat
was parched ] knew that another cigar
cite would bring me relief. but felt ccr-
tain il would be purchased at The price
of greater suffering later On Fer hours
] lay on the hard % son floor and tried
10 bear my choice collection of fortunes.
but with the passing of each (nute the
pangs multiplied. At length ] could bear
them NO longer. IN sheer desperation /
lit a cigarette resolved TO smoke until my
suffering should become bearaole'
TWO PERSONALITIES.
"With almost the first inhalau N ] Mas
conscious OF a dual personality All my
qense impressions were double Gradually.
one of these personalities seemed 20 Dee
lifted out of my body. which continued TO
suffer agonies and 20 De poised above 1t.
ID was awful I'm yet greater desperation,
/ inhaled the potent smoke rapidly ana
violently Soon the pain ceased MY BODY
slept while the pant Of me that was con-
sc.ous noatcd ont Of the prison. IL was
alike independent Of matter time ana
distance Ii sought or seemed 10 seek
throughout the universe for beauty ana
grandeur. and found thcm. IL Vi5it,d 'he
sce1es OF my childhood. OF my youth, OF
my early manhood. l lived over 20 the
mluutost detail. every pieasuraple sFhaa-
ZION 1 had ever known. And thcn came
back TO ny body and drifted into lana
NJ dreams filed with new fancies anu sen-
satlons too strange and beautful TOT any
words that ] know 90 describe.
.Thenceforth the drug was my master.
Two or three times Afterwards mace
weak aud Intellectual struggles aga'is.
~ INIT eech time II seemed TO iic In wait
for me with a new scductiNeness. Ny
confinement lasted uut tea u'9F' N"'
released without trial or explanation.
Irpon regaining my liberty. my first care
MAS to secure q supply of the drussel
cigarettes. ] had carefully saved several
pacjages. enough TO last week perhaps
but Won can scarcely imagine my dlsmay
vhcn could lind nothing Ike them
thoreh I searched every cigar store IN
Inc town. did not then know the name.
Of tho drug TO which I had become =
slave. 49,. no.
lo,i1 yire about the front OF my hotel
partially under the influence when he
sfeanre conduct OF man across The
etreet caught my WANDERING attention.
ais hack was against long, dooflcss
ana window 50 adobe wall, such as IS
common Am Mexican towns. and his whole
oftitu6o conveyed the idea that he was
trsin, TO sink himself into e bodily. Soon
he Was surrounded by quite crowd Of
men women and Children. all OF whom
were very careful. however. 20 keep their
distance. I walked over and joined the
crowd A nearer approach showed me that
vim one hand ne WAS hshting OF some
horrible demon which he described most
.,.hiIa with the other he va