136 FLORA HOMCGOPATHICA,. 
Medical men and authors of the old school entertain 
varied views of the action of Hemp. It is described as an 
astringent and palliative by some ; then stimulant and narcotic 
by others ; now an aphrodisiac, then an antaphrodisiac, and so 
on. It was thought to escape out of this dilemma by dividing 
those properties between the herb and the seed; but this dis- 
tinction could not hold good, and observers soon began to 
doubt. Hence Dierbach, while placing Hemp-seed among the 
medicamina sedantia seu mulcentia, adds, that the latter does 
indeed possess something of the volatile, narcotic principle 
of the herb, as may be inferred from its effect (Synops. Mat. 
Med., 1842, 2nd part, p. 825). Hope places Hemp in the list 
of the nervina excitantia and narcotica pura. Arnemann calls 
the infusion of the leaves a mild, narcotic stimulant (Pract. 
Arzneimiit., 6th edit., Goett., 1819, p.333). According to Kraus, 
linaria is a violently excitatory narcotic, inspiring blood- 
thirstiness, the Haschisch of the Orientals (Philos. Pract. Heil- 
mittel., Goett., 1831, p. 513). Linneus designates the Vis 
cannabis sativa as a narcotica, phantastica, dementans, anodyna, 
repellens. Sachs says of Hemp: “ It decidedly has no especial 
medicamental efficacy ;” that it may be dispensed with, and -is 
only a weak substitute, or rather no substitute at all (!) of opium. 
(Handb. d. Pract. Heilmittel., Koenigsberg, 1830, vol. i. p. 708). 
Most puts a mark of interrogation to this conjecture, but 
affirms that Hemp has not the injurious effects of opium, and is 
also a harmless aphrodisiac (Encyclop. Handb. d. Wort. Pract. 
Heilmittel., Rostock and Schwerin, 1841, p. 214). When such 
contradictions are to be met with in the “ practical” pharma- 
cologies, when the caprice existing in the management of the 
material is exposed to light so unconstrainedly, might one not 
fancy that the designation of “ practical” is a pendant to the 
Lucus a non lucendo? Kosteletzky says, with good reason, 
that Hemp belongs to those remedies which deserve all regard, 
but which have still not been sufficiently investigated in the 
special mode of action — Med. Pharm. Flora, Prague, 
