The Camden chronicle. (Camden, Tenn.) 1890-current, 1904-04-29
HASHEESH.
A SHORT STORY. BY BARRY PAIN.

groups-German, American and Eng
hsh-stopping for a few days in Cairo
on their way home. In the street in
front of the terrace the hawkers dis
played their wares-pan pipes, fly
Whisks, images of the sphinx, picture
post cards, matches. One offered for
sale an inlaid table that he carried on
his head. Another handed up an old
dintlock pistol heavily mounted in sill
yer for the inspection of a pretty girl
from Cincinnati. Every now and then
carriage drove up and party Of
tourists passed up the steps, followed
ny dragoman laden with kodaks and
dust cloaks and bazaar purchases. The
bright sunlight flooded a scene Of brill
liant colors.
At one Of the tables-neXt to that
where the pretty girl from Cincinnati
was slipping her tea-sat three men of
different ages Mr.. Nathaniel Brookes,
man of some 60 years and rather
distinguished appearance, was discuss
ing total prohibitions with DR.. Hen
son-Blake. The doctor was a man of
Wiry build, with the face of hawk
and that indescribable look which
comes only of strength and expert
ence. The third man listened and fid-
geted. From babyhood he had been
precocious, and preferred to associate
with those who were older than he
was. In consequence he sometimes
had to sit, as now, rather on the out
side of the associations. He smoked
endless cigarettes and drank something
which was cold and not good for him
out of long thin glass, in which the
ice tinkled pleasantly. He was fair
haired young man whom the sun had
merely freckled. He wore a single
eye-glass, but did not always dare to
use it. When you got to the bottom of
his failings you found fundamentally
by no means a bad sort of man, by
name Percival Lake. This was his
airst year in Egypt. Both Brookes and
che doctor had known Egypt for many
years
1t was Brookes who was speaking
"The fellaheen should be allowed to
dig" he said, "and it should be made
well worth their while to dig"
But they do" said the doctor. '"They
all Of them do it in the summer, and
they always have DONE"
''Yes," said Brookes. Prohibitions
which are too strict are always evaded.
It's the same thing with hasheesh. But
what l mean 1t that If we succeed in
stopping the fellaheen from digging,
the working European Psychologist
will find very little. The native will
take care Of that, and this is a case
where the native has knowledge that
the European can get only from him"
That's possible" the doctor agreed.
Whats that about hasheesh?" the
young man asked. Il thought it was
the kind of drug that one came across
frequently in stories and rarely in
chemists shops, and nowhere else"
"Nominally," said Brookes, there is
no hasheesh in Egypt. 1t is not al
lowed. 1t Is contraband. l forget how
many tons of it were seized last year,
4uu W say nOW muCu
managed to get through"
Then the natives really use it?"
"Of course they do. There is COM
mon type in all races which requires
a nerve Alternative and will have it. If
religion or sentiment or custom shuts
out alcohol, then it will be opium or
hasheesh. Egypt goes for hasheesh."
"And the prohibition is Of no use?"
asked Lake.
Il wouldn't say that" BroDkes re-
piled grimly. 'If native has a quar-
rel with his neighbor he can-and |
sometimes does-sow cannabis indica |
On his neighbours land and then report |
him for growing illegal stuff as soon
as the crop comes up. That is useful. |
Speaking seriously, the prohibition
may lessen the amount of hasheesh |
and undoubtedly has raised |
It's price carbohydrates are the |
monopoly of the rich. All the same,
had a boy working on my dahabeah |
last year who was an excellent fell
low. This year he was impossible, and |
had to sack him. That was has
heesh."
"And what is the effect of it?"
ASK the doctor"
"If you take enough and smoke it
long enough" said DR.. Henson-Blake,
4The effect is insanity. The given
percentage In the asylums is fairly
high and should perhaps be higher.
They don't admit 1t If they can help
Il. and 1t cannot always be spotted"