EECEEATIVE SCIENCE. 



295 



indeed, considered worthless. The resin, how- 

 ever, is so abundant as often to exu.de from 

 the plant, and is gathered for use. The 

 whole plant abounds in it, and it is used in 

 various ways, and extracts are made from it, 

 and names are given to the different prepa- 

 rations. The resin, which exudes naturally 

 from the plant, is the most esteemed, and is 

 called momcea, or cJiurrus. When the whole 

 plant is collected and dried, it is sold in Cal- 

 cutta market under the name of gunjaJi. If 

 the larger leaves and capsules are dried toge- 

 ther, it is known as hang, suhjea, or sidhce. 

 When the tender tops and leaves of the plant 

 are collected, and dried, it is called haschisch, 

 or by the Egyptians hhasTiee sh, and this 

 they commonly mix with tobacco, and smoke 

 it. The dried flowers the Moors caU Jcief, 

 which they smoke in the same way as tobacco, 

 but a small pipeful of it is sufficient to pro- 

 duce intoxication. An extract made by in- 

 fusing the whole plant in an alcoholic solu- 

 tion, and then evaporated, is said to be very 

 active ; but the extract called by the Arabs 

 dawamese is the form most commonly used. 

 It is made by boiling the leaves and flowers of 

 the hemp in water, to which a certain portion 

 of fresh butter is added, and then evaporated 

 to the thickness of a syrup ; in this state it 

 has a very disagreeable taste, and to disguise 

 it there is generally added some aromatics, 

 such as camphor, cloves, nutmeg, and thus it 

 is formed into a kind of electuary. This 

 composition is said to form the chief ingredient 

 of the haschisch of many Eastern nations. A 

 preparation similar to this is called by the 

 Moors el mogea, and is sold at a very high 

 price. 



" The practice of chewing the leaves of this 

 plant, to induce intoxication, prevailed or ex- 

 isted in India in very early ages : hence it 

 was introduced into Persia, and about six 

 centuries ago (before the middle of the thir- 

 teenth century of our era) this pernicious and 

 degrading custom was adopted in Egypt, but 

 chiefly by persons of the lower order, though 



several men eminent in literature and reli- 

 gion, and vast numbers of fakeers (or poor 

 devotees), yielded to its fascinations, and con- 

 tended that it was lawful to the Moos'lem. 

 The habit is now very common among the 

 lower orders in the metropolis, and other 

 towns of Egypt." The same author says : 

 " The preparation of hemp used for smoking 

 generally produces boisterous mirth. Few 

 inhalations of its smoke, but the last very 

 copious, are u.sually taken from the gozeh. 

 After the emission of the last draught from 

 the mouth and nostrils, commonly a fit of 

 coughing, and often a spitting of blood ensues, 

 in consequence of the lungs having been fiUed 

 with the smoke. Hhashai'sh is to be obtained 

 not only at some of the coffee-shops j there 

 are shops of a smaller and more private de- 

 scription, solely appropriated to the sale of 

 this and other intoxicating preparations ; they 

 are called mahh'shesh'ehs. It is sometimes 

 amusing to observe the ridiculous conduct, 

 and to listen to the conversation of the per- 

 sons who frequent these shops. They are 

 all of the lower order. The term hhash'sha'sh, 

 which signifies a smoker, or an eater of hemp, 

 is an appellation of obloquy. ]S"oisy and riot- 

 ous people are often called hhash'sha'shee'n, 

 which is the plural of that appellation, and 

 the origin of our word " assassin" — a name 

 first applied to Arab warriors in Syria, in 

 the time of the Crusades, who made use of 

 intoxicating and soporific drugs, in order to 

 render their enemies insensible."* 



The effect which the administration of the 

 preparations of hemp produces varies greatly 

 in different individuals. Its general effect upon 

 Orientals is that of an agreeable and cheerful 

 character, some individuals, however, become 

 quarrelsome and violent. Its action upon 

 Europeans, at least in Europe, is considerably 

 less than upon the nations of hotter climates. 

 The very general use of some form or other 

 of the hemp in almost aU hot climates woxild 

 lead us to imply that it has not any injurious 



* Lane's " Modern Egyptians," vol. ii., p. 32. 



