Mr. A. Christison on Cannabis indica. 487 



that in Central India and Nepal men in leathern dresses brush forcibly 

 through the plants, and the resin which adheres to them is then 

 scraped off. And Dr. M^Kinnon states that in Nepal the resin is 

 gathered on the backs of naked coolies. Dr. Royle says, **The glan- 

 dular secretion is collected from the plants on the hills, by the natives 

 pressing the upper part of the young plants between the palms of 

 -their hands and scraping off the secretion which adheres." 



V. In the preparation of the electuaries, &c., butter is used as the 

 means of separating the active principle, consequently these compounds 

 are very apt to become rancid. They are thus described by M. Charnac 

 in the * Annuaire de Therap.' for 1846 : — 



1. Preparations mixed with honey or melted sugar. 2. A more 

 active form called hachich kava-mesh (musked drug), containing musk, 

 essence of roses and almonds, of pasty consistence, and of the colour 

 of impure honey ; the quantity used being about the size of a walnut. 

 3. Two kinds are found at Smyrna, called Israel, the one a fine 

 powder, the other a roll of firm mastic consistence. 4. A black 

 round kind has great aphrodisiac repute among the Fellahs, but in 

 this case it is found that cantharides is added to increase the effect. 



At Cairo the compound from which the various conserves are pre- 

 pared is thus made. Equal parts of well sifted haschich, butter and 

 water are put in a vessel on the fire ; after some boiling the water is 

 dissipated ; the residue is twisted in a cloth to isolate the fatty matter, 

 and to this the different spices are added. 



Haschich is to the Arabians what opium is to the Turks and 

 Chinese. Hachach, signifying in Arabian drunkard, is the epithet 

 applied to those who eat haschich. 



The Arabians smoke the powdered plant, free of seeds, which con- 

 tain fatty, disagreeable-tasted matter, along with tobacco. 



VI. Landerer describes a tincture of hemp used at Cairo, called 

 Chatsraky, made by infusing in spirit for three weeks with a gentle 

 heat, the varnish-covered bark sliced from the stems when the plants 

 are in flower. 



As the activity of the preparations of hemp depends on the pre- 

 sence of a resinous varnish on the leaves, and consequently as the 

 most active of these is found to contain the largest quantity of resin, 

 it becomes a matter of great importance to decide upon the proper 

 period for collecting the plant. 



M. Gastinell, an apothecary at Cairo in 1849, states that he found 

 the active powers of hemp to depend on a resinous matter which forms 

 on the leaves as the seeds ripen. Again, M. de Charnac observes, 

 that in Egypt the tops of the plants are used at the end of flowering, 

 but before complete maturity of the seeds. And Mr. Jameson, Di- 

 rector of the Botanic Gardens at Saharunpore, makes a like state- 

 ment in a letter dated 17th August, 1849. As this letter contains 

 an interesting account of Hemp in that part of India, it has appeared 

 to me to be well worthy of a place in this essay. He says — *' In 

 Kimaon and Gurhwal Cannabis is grown in large quantities, partly 

 in order to obtain its resinous secretion, and partly for its bark, from 

 which a strong coarse cloth called Bnngila is manufactured ; it forms 



