The suburban citizen., 1900-12-22
HIS ONE EXPERIENCE
WITH MALAJUANA.
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Y II WAS during the testas. The
party had done the bull fights in
the afternoon and was dining Mt
- the International Club in Ciudad
Porfrio Diaz. When the heavy ma
tive cigars and little Mexican cigar
cites wrapped in corn husks were
brought in with the coffee the talk
turned to narcotics, and in more or
less interesting narrative ran all the
way from perique tobacco to cocaine.
Nearly everybody spoke on the sub
ject at more or less length, except
Slayden, who listened attentively, but
said nothing. That is his way when
he is sure of a story. Finally, when
the subject was about talked out he
said
"Did any of you ever hear Of Malaju-
anaT But without waiting for an
answer he continued: "Well was
malajuana fiend once. It's the biggest
drug evil of them all. The stuff comes
from the dried leaves and bark Of
kind Of native hemp that grows wild
all over southern Mexico. Its victims
usually smoke it mixed with tobacco
In a cigarette.
"Soon after our road began to boom
a certain town and l got mixed up in
a law suit involving the title to some
Durango lots. Just before the case
was to be tried l was arrested on
some pretext or another and locked up
In Jail, incommunicado. The second
day of my enforced isolation exhaust.
ed my own supply Of cigarettes, and
smoking being about my only recourse
] was glad to avail myself Of the
small, unprepossessing package Of Gig
arettes that came along with my daily
supply of food and water. 1 noticed
something peculiar about the first one
that lighted. The taste and odor were
both new to me, but my reflections
upon these qualities were of the brief
est duration.
"Most of you know how it feels 10
turn into a big, downy, comfortable
bed when you are dog tired, and drift
off with a clear conscience into deep,
Nntroubled restful sleep. Well, be-
fore finished half that cigarette that's
the way l felt, with the sensation mul.
tiplied about ten times, felt as though
was being gently lifted from the
door. of my cell, on which l was re.
clining when l began to smoke, and
waited about the air. 1 felt as If
something soft and delightfully."- sooth.
ing touched me all over; the sound Of
distant music was in my ears; charm.
ing yistas peopled with eXquisitely
graceful forms opened to my eyes, and
I'm the midst of the comfort and rest.
fulness and beauty Of it all 1 went
beautifully to sleep.
1T must have been the afternoon of
the following day, when l walked, for
there, in its usual place, was my daily
allowance of food, a full jug Of water
nnd--another package of cigarettes.
was refreshed and hungry, and l ate
all the food that had been brought me
1t was the first time / had been able
to relish the coarse fare OF course,
lit a cigarette as soon as l finished
my meal. l experienced only the usu
al mildly narcotic effect of tobacco thu
only thing about my smoke that was
at all out of the ordinary being a pun
gent aromatic fragrance totally un
like anything had ever before expert
enced, which l found most pleasing. /
was not until l lighted my third Gig
arctic that there was a repetition o.
anything like my previous experience
Upon the appearance OF its first symp
toms 1 stopped smoking. / was con
WINGED that the cigarettes wer,
drugged, and determined to smoke n,
more Of them.
Some hours afterward / began to III
oppressed with nausea and other dis
tressing sensatlo<s. Later my hea,
seemed ready to split; every bone an,
muscle in my body ached; my Aesl
felt dead, as if it was dropping off m.
bones; my throat was parched. kne,
that another cigarette would bring m
relief, but | felt certain it would b
purchased at the price Of greater SUI
fering later on. For hours 1 lay O
the hard prison floor and tried to bea
my choice of tortures, but with tn
passing of each minute the pangs mu
tiplied. At length l could bear ther
no longer In sheer desperation l
n cigarette, resolved TO smoke unt
my suffering become bearable.
with almost the first inhalation
WAS conscious Of a dual personalit
All my sense impressions were doubl
Gradually one of these personaliti'
seemed to be lifted out of my bod
which contained the suffering agonie
and to be poised above It. 1t was az
ful. In yet greater desperation l i
haled the potent smoke rapidly an
violently Soon the pain ceased. N
body slept, while the part Of me th
was conscious foated out Of the prise