The Birmingham age-herald., 1905-04-16
MARIAHUANA |S
 POWERFUL DRUG Smokers of the Weed Quickly
 Become Insane HE HABIT IS INSIDl0US Seizes on Its Victim Much More Quickly Than Either Opium or Cocaine-The Leaves Close
 Iy Resemble Tobacco.
HE HABIT IS INSIOIOUS

Austin CrexD Correspondence of the Washington Post.
 Mariahuana Is one of the most danger ous drugs found in Mexico. The weed grows wild in many localities of the southern part of that country. It's won derful powers as an intoxicant have long been known to the natives, and many are the wild orgies 1t has produced. So dan gerous is mariahuana that in the City of Mexico and other Mexican cities the gov
 ernment keeps special inspectors con- stantly employed to see that the weed is not sold in the markets.
 Produces Madness.
 few years ago it was found that many of the prisoners of the Belem prison. in the City of Mexico were losing their minds. An investigation was start ed and the discovery was made that they were all addicted to the use of mariahu- ana which was smuggled into them by the guards, who had been bribed for that purpose. Since then strict orders pro hibiting the uss of marlahuana by pris- oners have been enforced.
 The poisonous weed also finds favor among the soldiers, who mix 1t with to- bacco and smoke it. The sale of the weed to the soldiers is strictly prohibited and severe punishment is provided for any one guilty of offense.
 The habituai user of mariahuana finally loses his mind and becomes a raving ma niac. There are scores and scores of such instances in Mexico It Is said that those who smoke marlahuaNa frequently die suddenly.
 The smoking of mariahuana is a seduc- tive habit. It grows upon a person more quickly and securely than the use of opium or cocaine.
 Leaves of tobacco bear a close resem- blance to leave of the mariahuana weed The latter is smoked in cigarette form or in a pipe the same as tobacco The first effect of smoking mariahuana is slight headache. It comes after the first three or four draughts of smoke. A marked dizziness then sets in. Every | thing seems to move around the smoker. this whirl becoming faster and faster, until all sense of his surroundings is lost.
 Visions Full of Terror. The next stage of his intoxivation is full of terrors Troops of ferocious wild animals march before the vision of the smoker. Lions, tigers. partners and other wild beasts occupy his vision.
 The wild animals are then attacked by hosts of devils and monsters of unheard of shapes The smoker becomes brave and possessed of superhuman strength 1t is at this stage of the debauch that murders are committed by the smoker. Many mariahuana crimes are committed in Mexico.
 A short time ago a Mexican of the lower class living in the City of Mexico smoked a mariahuana cigarette. He be- came wildly insane and attacked and killed a policeman and seriously wound ed three other officers 1t required the combined strength of six policemen to overpower the madman and take him to prison.
 A few Americans in Mexico have exper- imented with mariahuana few years ago Henry Hommert, a former well known citizen of San Antonio, purchased a large coffee plantation in southern Mex ico He was induced to try smoking ma riahuana He became addicted to the habit which rendered him insane and finally resulted in his death.
 In another instance the superintendent of a mine in Mexico. who was an Ameri- can, became the object of hatred of one of the men in his employ. This MeXlcan mixed mariahuana with the American tobacco. The latter was made wildly in- sane from smoking the mixture and made a vicious attack upon a party or miners He was shot and killed in the array.