Cannabis indica



11 a. CHRISTISON took 1 gr, extract in spirit; last dinner, peculiar numbness creeping through body and limbs. On lying down, numbness continued; in 15 m. sensations became agreeable. Laughed heartily several times, answered questions incoherently, immediately forgot what they were about. Delightful reverse came over me; whatever I looked at became lost in a maze; lamp seemed to turn slowly round; red lines on paper of room appeared to intertwine in most beautiful manner. Most remarkable effect was constant succession of new ideas, each of which was almost instantly forgotten. When roused to tea, ate ravenously, without feeling satisfied. Slept soundly at night; next day stupid and forgetful, better after lemon juice.

11 b. Same took 4 gr. of extract for toothache. In 1 h. cessation of pain, pleasant numbness in limb, giddiness, rapid succession of unassociated ideas, impossibility to follow train of though, frequent intervals of sleep, slight increase in force of pulse. Felt no pains, but knew toothache was present. Next m. ordinary appetite, much torpidity, great defect and shortness of memory extreme apparent protection of time, but no peculiarity of articulation. This state lasted toil 2 p.m., and ceased a few m. after lemonade. (Monthly Jour. of Medorrhinum Science. xiii, 34.)

12. At. 4 p.m., man took 2 gr. of extract. 6:15 felt weak, chiefly about knees, slight inclination to laugh, stupidity, forgetfulness, no reverie. Slept soundly at n. Next day perhaps more stupid, enlivened by lemonade. Not himself till following d. Appetite strong. (Ibid.)

13. Man took 2 gr. in spirit, and 1 gr. solid shortly after 4 p.m. At 5:45 when at dinner, after water, felt buzzing in ears and slight giddiness. 2 m. later, burst into fit of laughter without cause, and had to retire owing to recurrence of such fits. Limbs could not support him; on lying down, delightful dreams – laughter at intervals. At 8 p. m,. had tea, ate voraciously; lay down again, laughed and sang. Slept soundly. Next day symptoms continued, but less, till afternoon. Lemon – juice had great effect in restoring faculties. (Ibid.)

14 I took between 2 and 3 grammes of haschisch, 9 a.m. In 15 m., peculiar movement in extremities, propagating itself toward interior of body. Felt as if something entered tips of fingers and moved progressively, and without interruption, to my brain, without, however, deranging intellectual faculties or producing pain. It was like sensation of nettles on skin, or ants moving over body, or titillation of sole of foot, but these do not exactly express sensation. Felt I was in abnormal state, and was contented. Wanted to work but could not; my hands, affected by nervous excitement, refused to execute delicate movements. Near houses seemed removed to a distance, voices heard seemed to come from far. All distances seemed great, felt as raised from ground and walking through air while persons in street touched the ground as my inferiors, and could not mount as I had done. Thought I should never reach home, distance seeming to grow. Portress on hearing me speak, said, “his voice has changed.” I answered. “It is effect of haschisch.” Went in, left key outside in door. Wanted to open two letters, but nervousness hindered me, could only pass them between fingers and turn them for 2 or 3 m. At last, seized with supreme disdain for vulgar things, I flung them on ground as unworthy my thoughts Crowds of ideas come into mind and grew clear and precise; nervous movement grew agreeable feeling came on. When I had got into bed, clothes seemed to remove from my body as sign of respect. Saw, to my great satisfaction all evens of my life pass before me; but ideas changed so rapidly that I could not dwell on single one. I knew of my state, but sought to corroborate it by proofs. Had doubts, and thought I was perhaps at work in laboratory, but this doubt passed like lightning, as I could get out of bed and walk – which I did; could go back to bed which I did, having examined my clothes looked at letters on floor, and noticed door shut and key outside. Clothes then seemed to remove again to distance, and same agreeable atmosphere surrounded me once more. This lasted 4h., then ideas succeeded less rapidly, distances diminished bedclothes respectfully approached me, nervous movement disappeared, and all resumed natural aspect, said that lips were less moist than usual. (DE LUCA, Comptes Rendus, Oct. 13, 1862.)

15. Took 3j to feel effects. Was disappointed at first, thought I had taken chocolate only. Wanted to write letter; could not begin it. Parietal bones of head expanded widely, as if parting at sutures, and again collapsed with sort of shuffling sound. Thought it result of fatigue.”I will go to bed,” I said. As I rose from table, agreeable state of warmth and lightness; felt I had taken Scotch whisky. Room seemed larger, and getting larger still; skulls of animals on walls became colossal, and I took them for monsters of Oolitic period; I thought I had been awestruck for years, looking at them paralysed, faculties benumbed except faculty of wonder. Saw my watch hanging on wall; it dispelled illusion. Looked at it calmly, found 20 m. since taking haschisch. Watch immediately expanded vastly, ticking like pulsation of a world. Now i knew I was under influence of drug, and began to take notes in pencil. Suddenly limbs seemed benumbed, toes shrank within slippers, fingers became like long legs of convulsed spider; I dropped pencil and walked to window. Landscape so sublime that I forgot cause of illusion. Horizon infinitely removed, still discernible; sunset had marked it out with myriads of fiery circles all revolving, mingling together, expanding and then changing to an aurora, which shot up to the zenith and fell down in sparks and splashes among trees, which became illuminated; whole scene grand with fires of all colours. Landscape continued to expand. Trees shot higher; ‘ their branches overspread sky, met together, and became confused mass; lights changed to general purple haze; sense of twitching in every limb, with weariness and depression, made me turn and sit down. Twitching changed to sharp pricking, most in extremities; thought I was poisoned by strychnine. Opened drawer for emetic, but drawer had gone, and in its place sat one of my antediluvian monsters grinning. For six weeks – I then thought – it played a monotonous tune, while I sat on ground laughing and enjoying idea of my toes and fingers being claws, when suddenly thought seized me that I would destroy illusion by effort. I dashed at monster; my hand fell on handle of drawer. Dream was dissolved, I could understand that my watch ticking and bird singing in garden were sounds I had heard from monster. Looked at watch found 25 m. had elapsed since swallowing, – seemed years. I then said: “25 min., 25 days, 25 months, 25 years, 25 centuries, 25 aeons. Now I know it all; I have discovered in dark ages elixir of life: I shall live for ever. “Elixir seemed to whirl round me like wheel of which I was centre. Wheel became brilliant with fiery coruscations, by degrees centre (where I was) became circumference, and I was whirled with it, my head opening and shutting, could feel cold air on brain; breath got shorter and more difficult, chest falling in as if crushed by weight, stomach gnawed by rats. This went on for ages, yet I knew where I was, and how it all happened; actually ordered coffee, though illusion did not cease, nor did servant who answered me notice signs of aberration; thought coffee would relieve oppression, which was fast dispelling illusion. Tried to count pulse; throbs were like heaving of mountains; as I counted: “one, two, three,” they became “one, two, three centuries,” and I shrieked at thought of having lived From all eternity and of going to live TO all eternity in palace of coloured stalacties, supported by shafts of emerald, resting on sea of liquid god, for this was now appearance of things; gnawing at stomach suggested that I should be starved to death and yet live, the deformed wreck of a deluded man. Servant brought coffee in huge tanker chased all over with dragons that extended all round the world; I saw its odour play round her in circles of light, and for 1 h. she stood smiling and hesitating where to place it, because table was covered with papers. I calmly removed a few papers, and heaved a sigh that dissipated the dragons, made odours fall in shower of rain, and she put down tray with a crash that made every bone in my body vibrate as if struck by 10,000 hammers. She stood aghast, and her rosy face expanded to size of balloon, and away she went like lightning, and I stood applauding in midst of 1000 lamps, which noted were all glow – worms, which I could touch, and they communicated to my fingers phosphorescent sparks, as if rubbed with matches. (A few days before I had found glow-worms in garden and on handling them found my fingers tipped with dull, phosphoric glow. This probably gave rise to illusion. In fact, I afterwards traced many of my sensations to previous events; I almost believe illusions to be result of abnormal memory.) I knew this was unreal; drank coffee with composure, though difficult to pour it out without spilling; cup came to my lips as if it were rim of cauldron seething with stew of spices and nepenthe, and amid steam I could see into brain of Jacob Boehmen (whom I had read) as he now seemed looking into mine. Coffee caused sensations of insupportable heat. Gnawing sensation in stomach and contraction of chest gave way to sense of pricking most violent in fingers and toes, and yet, though painful pleasant. Though I could see that 40 m. had elapsed since taking drug, yet I had secret persuasion it was at least 40 centuries. Only one effect now remained, – sense of warmth of whole body and tendency of head to expand and fill room. Arms dropped; painful effort to keep them up. Went to bed., Could get them with difficulty, though legs very long, felt they would be presently cramped, so that I should cry out. On undressing clothes flew away into space, and became stars, buttons on vest glittered like Orion, but more vast and splendid. Did not dare look out of window; tried to control myself, for I began to feel sense of dread. As I got into bed, bed extended; as I lay down, I extended, and on shutting eyes, I covered whole earth. Sense of indescribable pain all over; skin seemed to move to and fro upon flesh, head swelled to awful size, and I parted in two from head to foot; became two persons, each throbbing, breathing hard, sighing loudly, and lost in a commixture of ethereal yet agonizing colours and sounds. these loudly, and lost in a commixture of ethereal yet agonizing colours and sounds. These loudly, and lost in a commixture of ethereal yet agonizing colours and sounds. these seemed to continue for ages; but I was really asleep, and I never could call to mind at what time I went to bed, or at what point of illusion sleep came upon me, but I always supposed it to be when I felt myself parted in twain and immersed in light and music. Next d. was awake early, seemingly unrefreshed. I lay some hours pondering on strange effects drug had produced and found it difficult for some time to prevent intrusion of some broken fragments of visions from taking possession of me; after breakfast, felt as well as usual. (SHIRLEY HIBBERD, Intellectual Observer, ii, 435.)

Richard Hughes
Dr. Richard Hughes (1836-1902) was born in London, England. He received the title of M.R.C.S. (Eng.), in 1857 and L.R.C.P. (Edin.) in 1860. The title of M.D. was conferred upon him by the American College a few years later.

Hughes was a great writer and a scholar. He actively cooperated with Dr. T.F. Allen to compile his 'Encyclopedia' and rendered immeasurable aid to Dr. Dudgeon in translating Hahnemann's 'Materia Medica Pura' into English. In 1889 he was appointed an Editor of the 'British Homoeopathic Journal' and continued in that capacity until his demise. In 1876, Dr. Hughes was appointed as the Permanent Secretary of the Organization of the International Congress of Homoeopathy Physicians in Philadelphia. He also presided over the International Congress in London.