pipe tobacco

[Pvt Schnapps]

Re: "Puffing the weed."

They are two seperate plants, with two seperate effects. They always have had these attributes. It's pretty much that simple. Send them an email and they'll help you clarify what was what during the period.

From "Narcotics" in The North American Review, October 1862:

The intoxicating narcotic which is called Hasheesh is the product of the hemp-plant. Though passing by different names, the Cannabis Sativa and the Cannabis Indica, or native and Indian hemp, are essentially the same plant.
Climate seems to make all the difference between them. By that influence the fibres of the one harden into flax and cordage; while from the other exudes a fragrant green resin, which is powerfully narcotic. This resin is collected in a way similar to that employed in the case of opium. In the crude state, it is called churrus: the whole plant, gathered while in flower, and dried, is gunjah; the larger leaves and seed-capsules are called bang; and a decoction, prepared by boiling the leaves and flowers with water to which fresh butter is added, and then evaporating to a thick syrup, is hasheesh. Hemp is consumed on the plains of India; on the slopes of the Himalayas; in Persia; in Turkey; in Northern Africa among the Moors; in Central and Southern Africa, even by the Hottentots; and also by the native Indians of Brazil.


You can read the full article at: http://cdl.library.cornell.edu/cgi-b...BQ7578-0095-55

[Pvt Schnapps]

Re: "Puffing the weed."

OK, here's another cite, from The Living Age, October 4, 1851. Curiously, while this verifies the actual inhalation of hashish, it indicates that perhaps the pipe found in situ was, in fact, part of the kit of a veterinarian:

HORSE SURGERY.

In Acre there is a plentiful supply of Turkish veterinary surgeons ; and about the most curious sight I ever witnessed was horse under treatment by these practitioners. First, they threw it on the ground, by tying its four feet or hoofs so closely together that it became as helpless as an infant; then a tight bandage was placed over the nose and mouth, only leaving sufficient space for the animal to breathe. A Turkish pipe, containing tobacco, bang, hashish, cuscus, and other narcotics, was inserted in one of the nostrils, and a spark being placed upon the bowl, the horse involuntarily inhaled the stupefying smoke which had the effect, after a very short period, of rendering it unconscious of what was going on. Then the skill of surgery was brought into play, and the fetlock of the poor brute being laid open, a perfect hive of worms, deposited by a fly, common in some parts of the desert between Damascus and Bagdad, was duly extracted. The wound was closed up with pitch sticking—plaster, and the bands being unloosed, buckets of cold water were thrown over the horse who quickly revived. The foot was now placed in a sling, and in a few days afterwards, so effective had been the operation, the horse was fit to pursue its daily avocations.

A happy profession, that of Turkish veterinarian...

See http://cdl.library.cornell.edu/cgi-b...ABR0102-0031-3

[Pvt Schnapps]

Re: "Puffing the weed."

Strangely addictive subject --

From the "Editor's Table" in the Continental Monthly, June 1862:

Such, gentle reader, was the condition of Louis Grayle when I last saw him. By the assistance of confederates and other means, he had imposed on our good friend Doctor Fenwick, in former years, and nearly driven that poor gentleman crazy during his celibacy, especially as the doctor in all this period would smoke hasheesh and drink laudanum cocktails—two little facts neglected to be mentioned in ‘A Strange Story.’

http://cdl.library.cornell.edu/cgi-bin/moa/pageviewer?frames=1&cite=http%3A%2F%2Fcdl.library.cornell.edu%2Fcgi-bin%2Fmoa%2Fmoa-cgi%3Fnotisid%3DABR1802-0001-157&coll=moa&root=%2Fmoa%2Fcont%2Fcont0001%2F&tif=00764.TIF&view=text

Also see the Scientific American, October 23, 1858, for a little article on "Hasheesh and Its Smokers and Eaters", a sort of 19th century prelude to Reefer Madness: http://cdl.library.cornell.edu/cgi-b...ABF2204-0014-9

[Justin Runyon]

Re: "Puffing the weed."

Though passing by different names, the Cannabis Sativa and the Cannabis Indica, or native and Indian hemp, are essentially the same plant.

Excellant period reference, and that's what we're really after here. To keep tis thread on track we must eschew modern uses etc. for canabis, and merely view it in a period context.

[FarbNoMore]

Re: "Puffing the weed."

Somehow my question was errased.....

What scientific tests did they use in the period to tests the levels of THC to prove they were the same thing?

[Hank Trent]

Re: "Puffing the weed."

In response to the question "Were they the same thing?" there's no easy answer, because it all hinges on the definition of "same." The same genus? The same species? The same variety? Can they interbreed? Not distinguishable on sight? Distinguishable by testing?

The 1851 US Dispensatory, speaking of Extractum Cannabis as a medicine, gives the English synonym as "Extract of Hemp," and discusses the Latin name:

The hemp growing in India, from which the medicine is derived, has been considered by some as a distinct species, and named Cannabis Indica; but the most observant botanists, upon comparing it with our cultivated plant, have been unable to discover any specific difference ["specific" meaning pertaining to the species]. It is now, therefore, regarded merely as a variety, and is distinguished by the epithet Indica. Dr. Periera states that, in the female plant, the flowers are somewhat more crowded than in the common hemp; but that, in comparing the male plants of the two varieties, he found them in all respects the same. It is unfortunate that the name of Indian hemp has been attached to the medicinal product; as in the United States the same name has long been appropriated to the Apocynum cannabinum; and some confusion has hence arisen.

C. sativa is a native of the Caucasus, Persia, and the hilly regions in the North of India. It is cultivated in many parts of Europe and Asia, and largely in our Western States. It is from the Indian variety exclusively that the medicine is obtained; the heat of the climate in Hindostan apparently favouring the development of the resinous matter upon which its efficacy depends...

The medicinal resin or extract of hemp, directed by the U.S. Pharmacopoeia, is made by evaporating a tincture of the dried tops.

On the topic of testing, one has to remember that medicines were not typically tested for purity, since there was no expectation to standardize or label the percentage of ingredients or strength. So testing was more for investigative purposes, but was not done on large commercial shipments. (I believe the military may have had testing done for medicines, similar to inspections for anything they purchased in bulk, but I'm speaking about civilian wholesale and retails sales here.)

So in answer to the question of how it was tested for strength, the plant could be analyzed chemically in the period as follows:

Schlesinger found in the leaves of hemp, a bitter substance, chlorophylle, green resinous extractive, colouring matter, gummy extract, extractive, albumen, lignen, and salts. The plant also contains volatile oil in very small proportion. The resin is probably the active principle of hemp, and has received the name of cannabin. It is soluble in alcohol and ether, and is separated form the alcoholic solution by water, as a white precipitate.

"The medicinal resin or extract of hemp" could be made in various ways. The U.S. Pharmacopoeia direct it be "made by evaporating a tincture of the dried tops. Dr. O'Shaughnessy directs it to be prepared by boiling the tops of the gunjah in alcohol until all the resin is dissolved, and evaporating to dryness by means of a water-bath..." Several other methods, from the Calcutta Medical College, and from Edinburgh, are noted. A method for obtaining purer resin was said to produce 6 or 7 pounds of the extract from 100 pounds of gunjah.

Needless to say, these various methods, as well as variations in the imported plants themselves, produced different strengths in commerce, and doctors expected and dealt with it, without individually testing what they purchased.

So the answer to how they tested it, on a practical level, was by trial and error.

The strength of the extract varies much as found in commerce; and therefore no definite dose can be fixed... The proper plan is to begin with a grain, repeated at intervals of two, three or four hours, and gradually increased until its influence is felt, and the strerngth of the parcel employed is thus ascertained.

Hank Trent
hanktrent@voyager.net

[markj]

Re: "Puffing the weed."

Hmmmm,

Maybe this story explains why most of the stoners I knew in my youth were "ZFZ's (zit-free zones).

Study: Substance in Marijuana Clears Facial Dermatitis
Fox News, Friday, August 17, 2007

A substance found in the cannabis plant helps the body’s natural protective system clear dry, scaly skin rashes caused by allergic dermatitis, according to researchers from the U.S., Germany, Israel, Italy and Switzerland.

Allergic dermatitis commonly causes acne-like rashes on the cheeks, eyelids and neck, as well as on areas of the elbow and the back of knees. Prolonged episodes can lead to facial wrinkles, thickening of the skin and facial pigmentation. The problem begins in youth and can continue through adulthood.

Allergic contact dermatitis affects about 5 percent of men and 11 percent of women in industrialized countries, according to an article published in the journal Science.

A group of domestic and international researchers have found that two naturally occurring cannabinoid (cannabis-like) components found in the body’s endocannabinoid system – one from the brain, named anandamide and another from the intestines named 2-AG provides protection against dermatitis.

These cannabinoids have similar effects to those of the active components in hashish and marijuana, produced from the cannabis plant. Further research using mice has shown that THC – the ingredient in marijuana that produces a “high” in users — significantly decreased the allergic reaction in comparison to untreated mice.

Researchers believe activation of the endocannabinoid system in the skin upon exposure to a contact allergen lowers the allergic responses through modulating the production of this chemokine.

Studies also have shown that mice lacking cannabinoid receptors display exacerbated inflammatory skin responses to an allergen.

***********************************

Very truly yours, &c.,

Mark Jaeger

[Pvt Schnapps]

Re: "Puffing the weed."

Maybe they knew something about "medicinal marijuana" that we don't...:)

[27thNCdrummer]

Tavern Pipe

Gents,

Would it be authentic to carry one of the long stemmed tavern pipes at events?
I imagine the stem would have been broken down shorter to accommodate a knapsack.

Thanks,

[Vuhginyuh]

Re: Tavern Pipe

Andrew,

Let me see the pipe you are asking about before I say yes or no. The long so-called Tavern or Church Warden pipes would not be practical. Some would even argue that the long pipes are not PC. Shorter period clay pipes might be what you should look in to.

I know you hate to hear this but there are good very threads on clay pipes hiding behind the Search button.

http://www.authentic-campaigner.com/forum/showthread.php?t=2077&highlight=CLAY+PIPES

[pipthelimey]

Re: Tavern Pipe

Tobacciana is the only area of research that has ever really caught my interest. The vast majority of documented pipes, (originals with provenance, or images of soldiers with pipes) show either wood pipes with black stems, (generally gutta percha or vulcanite) clay pipes with reed stems, or wood pipes with reed stems. There are of course meerschaums with amber stems, some all clay pipes, and some porcelains, but the majority seem to be the tough, little, and practical pipes that could survive. I've got two pipes that I use, a hand-carved briar with a vulcanite stem, (6 months of work that I will never repeat) and an original clay pipe with a reed stem. The original is a dug relic and has survived 8 years in my haversack.

The longer stemmed clay pipes, (aka tavern pipes) were literally loaner pipes that taverns kept on hand for customers. Theoretically, each succesive smoker would break off a half inch of clay until the pipe was too short to smoke, at which time the cheap pipe was replaced. In my experience, clay stemmed pipes get very hot. Clay bowls are pretty common on ebay. Generally you should be able to find one for less then $10. Mate it with a reed or a piece of bamboo, and you are golden. Here are two recents.

[MarionRifles]

Re: Tavern Pipe

Johnathan Townsend has a good selection of reed stem pipes, both stoneware and red clay, starting at around $8.00.

[27thNCdrummer]

Re: Tavern Pipe

Does Jonathan Townsend have a website or any contact number?

[Huck]

Re: Tavern Pipe

http://www.jas-townsend.com/

http://jas-townsend.com/index.php?cPath=50

[pipthelimey]

Re: Tavern Pipe

Townsend's ribbed pipes aren't too bad, and they're reasonable facsimiles. The straight pipes however are all copies of common Indian Trade pipes. You probably wouldn't have seen too many white folk with one. A major flaw in reproduction pipes is that they are not glazed. If anyone knows a potter, I am not sure if the process can be applied after one baking, or if it must be done before baking. Take a look below at an original, vs a repro. Don't worry too much about any pattern variations, as these were super common, instead look at the finish of the pipe. Even 150 years old, the original is smoother and glossier.

AJ