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