THIRTY-FIVE YEARS IN THE EAST. 159 



of flying, voracious appetite, and intense aphrodisiac desire. 

 In the same Dispensatory, p. 594, it is mentioned that in 

 several cases of acute and chronic rheumatism, half-grain 

 doses of the resin were given, producing unequivocal aphro- 

 disia, and great mental cheerfulness; alleviation of pain in 

 most instances, and remarkable increase of appetite in all. 



Disorders of the mind, occasioned by continual inebria- 

 tion from the hemp plant, have been cured by blisters 

 placed on the nape, leeches on the temples, and exciting 

 nausea by very small doses of tartar emetic or salt purga- 

 tives. The preparation of the hemp plant beverage is as 

 follows : — Any quantity of the dried hemp plant is washed 

 in a vessel with cold water, to cleanse it from the seeds, 

 stalks, earth, and other impurities ; it is afterwards pressed, 

 dried in the sun, and kept for use. A portion of this clean 

 dried hemp herb, mixed with a few kernels of pepper, is 

 put into a saucer, and crushed with a wooden rubber, pour- 

 ing thereon occasionally a little water ; when it is complete- 

 ly crushed, and becomes a pap, more water is then gradu- 

 ally added ; it is then filtered through a piece of coarse 

 linen, that the fine particles of the herb may flow equally 

 through, and the liquor must be drunk before it makes any 

 sediment, the effect being principally produced by the resin- 

 ous particles of the herb, which are not very soluble in 

 water. For beginners, one or two scruples of the dried plant 

 will produce intoxication ; those who are confirmed in the 

 habit can take from two to four drachms, and a few invete- 

 rate drinkers can take even an ounce. Iftheherap herb is 

 mixed with almonds, melon or pumpkin seeds, sugar, spirits, 

 &c., or if milk is used instead of water in its preparation, 

 the beverage is of course more agreeable, 



Majoon is an aromatic confection of cannabis indica, and 

 is used in Turkey, Arabia, Persia, India, and Egypt, 

 Some people adulterate the majoon with the seeds o{ datura 

 stramonii, which increases the intoxicating effect. Sometimes, 

 instead of using the hemp plant beverage, they use a butter 

 containing the effective parts of the plant. In the prepara- 

 tion of this, they take equal parts of cleansed hemp herb and 



