Anoc^obe^rPlSm•}    Recent  Literature  Relating  to  Pharmacy,  483 
Bhang. — This  consists  of  the  selected  leaves  of  the  plant,  dried 
and  broken  up  into  coarse  powder.  The  leaves  of  the  male  plants 
or  of  the  non-resinous  female  plants  are  not  taken. 
Haschisch. — This  word  literally  means  "  the  plant,"  and  is  used  in 
Syria,  Turkey  and  Egypt  to  indicate  bhang,  churrus  and  even  alco- 
holic preparations  of  the  plant. 
Majun  is  applied  to  a  sweetmeat  or  confection,  of  which  cannabis 
indica  is  the  basis.  It  may,  and  often  does,  contain  other  drugs, 
according  to  the  purpose  for  which  it  is  intended. 
Chur. — This  is  applied  to  the  broken  or  detached  heads  of  ganja. 
Charas,  or  Churrus,  is  the  resin  obtained  from  the  flowering  tops 
and  is  collected  in  different  ways,  in  different  districts. 
It  is  perhaps  interesting  to  note  that  churrus  is  not  made  in  Cen- 
tral India.  In  Punjaub  and  Nepal  it  is  collected  by  hand  from 
unreaped  plants.  In  Ladak,  Yarkand  and  Turkestan  it  is  collected 
by  beating  reaped  plants  upon  coarse  cotton  cloths,  to  which  the 
resin  adheres.  Churrus  is  also  said  to  be  made  in  Greece,  but 
whether  on  the  mainland  or  on  the  islands  of  the  Greek  Archi- 
pelago is  not  known. 
The  classical  account  implies  that  it  is  produced  in  Central  India, 
but  inquiries  made  by  Dr.  Prain  show  that  this  is  not  so.  The 
curious  story  that  is  usually  told  in  this  connection,  of  its  being 
obtained  by  natives  rushing  through  the  hemp  fields,  and  the  resin 
being  subsequently  scraped  from  their  leather  jerkins  or  naked 
(oiled)  bodies,  is  difficult  to  trace  to  its  origin.  Extensive  inquiries 
by  Dr.  Prain  failed  to  produce  any  evidence  that  it  was,  or  ever  had 
been,  collected  in  this  way. 
From  a  study  of  the  resin,  and  the  manner  of  its  occurrence  on 
the  plant,  Dr.  Prain  concludes  that  it  is  not  likely  that  naked  men 
with  oiled  skins  could  collect  much  churrus  in  that  way. 
M.  L  W. 
