The seven sisters of sleep: popular history of the seven prevailing narcotics of the world / [M.C. Cooke].

  • Cooke, M. C. (Mordecai Cubitt), 1825-1914.
Date:
[1860?]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: The seven sisters of sleep: popular history of the seven prevailing narcotics of the world / [M.C. Cooke]. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    “‘I will! I have sworn by the Most High that I will.’ “At the Name the Prophet no longer opposed the viper, but bade him bite on, in the name of God. The snake pierced his fangs in the blessed wrist, which the Prophet not liking, shook him off, but did him no further harm,, nor would he suffer those near him to destroy it, but putting his lips to the wound, and sucking out the poison, spat it upon the earth. From these drops sprang that wond’rous weed, which has the bitterness of the serpent’s tooth, quelled by the sweet saliva of the Prophet.”* , , , A1 , Happy Moslem! you have solved the mystery, and your heart feels no doubt; but Christian dogs despairingly sigh for some revelation from the past, whether through history or tradition, ot the first use of this plant. In vain we enquire who it was that first conceived and put in practice the idea of burning the large leaves of a .weed, and drawing in the smoke to spit it out again . W ho it was that discovered pleasure or amusement m tickling the nose with that “titillating dust to enjoy the luxury of a sneeze or find employment in blowing it out again? \e shades ot heroes departed, that hover around the pine-woods ot the Saskatchewan, sail over the rolling prames of Illinois, or roam along the strands of \ lrgmia, tell us to what illustrious progenitor of Oree or Mohawk we are to accord, the honour of a dis- covery more popular than any since the days when “ Adam delved and Eve spau * . In default of the shades giving us the required information, we must resort to the faint lootst^P® which “ the habit ” has left imprinted on the sands of Time. Even the name by which it is called, • The Ansayrii and the Assassins, by the Hon. F. Walpole.