1 Disorders of the mind, occasioned by continual inebriation
2 from the hemp plant, have been cured by blisters placed on the
3 nape, leeches cm the* temples, and exciting nausea by very small
4 doses of tartar emetic or salt purgatives. The preparation of
5 the Imnip-plant beverage is us follows-Any quantity of the
6 dried hemp plant is washed in a vessel with col I water, to cleanse
7 it from the seeds, stalks, ear -h, and bthe • impurities; it. is after¬
8 wards pressed, dried in the sun, and kept for use. A portion of
9 this clean dried hemp herb, mixed with a few kernels of pepper,
10 is put into a saucer, and crushed with a wooden rubber, pouring
11 thereon occasionally a little water; when it is completely crushed,
12 and becomes a pnp, more water is then gradually added; it is
13 then tillered through a piece of coarse linen, that the fine
14 particle of the herb may flow equally through, ami the liquor
15 must be drank before it makes arty sediment the effect being
16 principally produced by the resinous! particles of the herb, which
17 arc. not very soluble in water. For beginners, one or two
18 scruples of the dried plant will produce intoxication ; those who
19 are confirmed in the habit can take from two to four drachms, and
20 a few inveterate, drinkers can take even an ournc. If the hemp
21 herb is mixed with almonds, melon or pumpkin seeds, sugar,
22 spirits, &c., or if milk is used instead of water in its preparation,
23 the beverage is of course more agreeable.
24 Majoon is an aromatic confection of cannabis indiau, and is
25 used in Turkey; Arabia, Persia, India, anti Egypt. Some people
26 adulterate the majoon with the seeds of datura stramonii, which
27 increases the intoxicating effect. Sometimes, instead of using
28 the hemp-plant beverage, they use a butter containing tint
29 eifeetive parts of the plant. In the preparation of this, they
30 take equal parts of cleansed In np herb and of butter, to which
31 is added some water, and they ar boiled together until the water
32 become ■ entirely absorbed. Whilst, warm, it is pressed through
33 a loosely woven linen, into a vessel filled with cold water; end
34 this butter, which is of a green colour, > >uy be washed again,
35 either with pure water or rose-water. They sometimes boil a.