“The powder is recommended as an external application to fresh wounds and sores, and for causing granulations; a poultice of the boiled root and leaves for discussing inflammations, and cure of erysipelas, and for allaying neuralgic pains. The dried leaves, bruised and spread on a castor oil leaf, cure hydrocele and swelled testes. The dose internally is one direm, or forty-eight grains. The antidotes are emetics, cow’s milk, hot water, and sorrel wine.”
Alluding to its popular uses, the author dwells on the eventual evil consequences of the indulgence; weakness of the digestive organs first ensues, followed by flatulency, indigestion, swelling of the limbs and face, change of complexion, diminution of sexual vigor, loss of teeth, heaviness, cowardice, depraved and wicked ideas; scepticism in religious tenets, licentiousness, and ungodliness are also enumerated in the catalogue of deplorable results.
The medicinal properties of hemp, in various forms, are the subject of some interesting notes by Mirza Abdul Razes. “It produces a ravenous appetite and constipation, arrests the secretions except that of the liver, excites wild imagining, especially a sensation of ascending, forgetfulness of all that happens during its use, and such mental exultation, that the beholders attribute it to supernatural inspiration.”
Mirza Abdul considers hemp to be a powerful exciter of the flow of bile, and relates cases of its efficacy in restoring appetite—of its utility as an external application as a poultice with milk, in relieving hæmorrhoids, and internally in gonorrhœa. A quarter of a drachm of bangh is given in water as the dose in gonorrhœa. He states, also, that the habitual smokers of gunjah generally die of diseases of the lungs, dropsy, and anasarca, “so do the eaters of majoon and smokers of sidhee, but at a later period. The inexperienced on first taking it are often senseless for a day, some go mad, others are known to die.”
In the 35th chapter of the 5th volume of “Rumphius’ Herbarium Amboinense,” p. 208, Ed. Amsterd. A. D. 1695, we find a long and very good account of the hemp, illustrated by two excellent plates. The subjoined is an epitome of Rumphius’ article:—
Rumphius first describes botanically the male and female hemp plants, of which he gives two admirable drawings. He assigns the upper provinces of India as its habitat, and states it to be cultivated in Java and Amboyna. He then notices very briefly the exciting effects ascribed to the leaf, and to mixtures thereof with spices, camphor, and opium. He alludes doubtingly to its alleged aphrodisiac powers, and states that the kind of mental excitement it produces depends on the temperament of the consumer. He quotes a passage from Galen, lib. i. (de aliment. facult.), in which it is asserted that in that great writer’s time it was customary to give hemp seed to the guests at banquets as a promoter of hilarity and enjoyment. Rumphius adds, that the Mahomedáns in his neighbourhood frequently sought for the male plant from his garden, to be given to persons afflicted with virulent gonorrhœa and with asthma, or the affection which is popularly called “stitches in the side.” He tells us, moreover, that the powdered leaves check diarrhœa, are stomachic, cure the malady named pitao, and moderate excessive secretion of bile. He mentions the use of hemp smoke as an enema in strangulated hernia, and of the leaves as an antidote to poisoning by orpiment. Lastly, he notices in the two subsequent chapters varieties of hemp, which he terms the gunjah sativa and gunjah agrestis.
In the Hortus Malabaricus, Rheede’s article on the hemp is a mere echo of Rumphius’ statements.
Among modern European writers the only information I could trace on the medicinal use of hemp in Europe, is in the recent work of Nees v. Esenbeck, from which the following is an extract kindly supplied by Dr. Wallich:—
“The fresh herb of the hemp has a very powerful and unpleasant narcotic smell, and is used in the East in combination with opium in the preparation of intoxicating potions, &c. It is probable that the nepenthe of the ancients was prepared from the leaves of this plant. Many physicians, Hahnemann among them, prescribe the vinous extract in various nervous disorders, where opium and hyoscyamus used to be employed, being less heating and devoid of bitterness.”[3]
No information as to the medicinal effects of hemp exists in the standard works on materia medica, to which I have access. Soubeiran, Feé, Merat and de Lens, in their admirable dictionary; Chevalier and Richard, Roques (Phytographie Medicale); Ratier and Henry (Pharmacopeé Française); and the Dictionnaire des Sciences Medicales, are all equally silent on the subject.