T
The420Guy
Guest
JOHANNESBURG, South Africa (AP) - Several 17th Century clay pipes found near
the home of William Shakespeare contained a hallucinogenic substance and
several others may have been used to smoke marijuana, South African
scientists said Thursday.
The Shakespeare Birthplace Trust in Stratford-upon-Avon, England, allowed the
researchers to perform a chemical analysis on 24 pipe fragments at the
Forensic Science Laboratory in Pretoria. The results showed traces of
tobacco, camphor and myristic acid, which has hallucinogenic properties.
``We do not claim that any of the pipes belonged to Shakespeare himself.
However, we do know that some of the pipes come from the area in which he
lived, and they date to the 17th century,'' said Francis Thackeray, of the
Transvaal Museum, one of the researchers in the project. ``The results
suggest that at least one hallucinogenic substance was accessible to
Shakespeare and his contemporaries at a time when smoking was a novelty in
England.''
Though marijuana degrades over time and it is difficult to identify it with
much certainty after many centuries, eight of the 24 pipe fragments analyzed
showed signs suggestive of marijuana, the scientists said.
The use of drugs in Shakespeare's time may have inspired his ``Sonnet 76,''
in which he refers to a ``noted weed'' and ``compounds strange,'' Thackeray
said.
Literary critics have interpreted ``noted weed'' to mean a well known garment
or style of dress and ``compounds strange'' to mean a strange word
construction or a medicinal mixture.
Two of the pipe samples also showed evidence of cocaine.
One of those pipes came from the home of the mother of John Harvard, after
whom Harvard University is named.
The results of the study have been published in the South African Journal of
Science.
By RAVI NESSMAN
.c The Associated Press
the home of William Shakespeare contained a hallucinogenic substance and
several others may have been used to smoke marijuana, South African
scientists said Thursday.
The Shakespeare Birthplace Trust in Stratford-upon-Avon, England, allowed the
researchers to perform a chemical analysis on 24 pipe fragments at the
Forensic Science Laboratory in Pretoria. The results showed traces of
tobacco, camphor and myristic acid, which has hallucinogenic properties.
``We do not claim that any of the pipes belonged to Shakespeare himself.
However, we do know that some of the pipes come from the area in which he
lived, and they date to the 17th century,'' said Francis Thackeray, of the
Transvaal Museum, one of the researchers in the project. ``The results
suggest that at least one hallucinogenic substance was accessible to
Shakespeare and his contemporaries at a time when smoking was a novelty in
England.''
Though marijuana degrades over time and it is difficult to identify it with
much certainty after many centuries, eight of the 24 pipe fragments analyzed
showed signs suggestive of marijuana, the scientists said.
The use of drugs in Shakespeare's time may have inspired his ``Sonnet 76,''
in which he refers to a ``noted weed'' and ``compounds strange,'' Thackeray
said.
Literary critics have interpreted ``noted weed'' to mean a well known garment
or style of dress and ``compounds strange'' to mean a strange word
construction or a medicinal mixture.
Two of the pipe samples also showed evidence of cocaine.
One of those pipes came from the home of the mother of John Harvard, after
whom Harvard University is named.
The results of the study have been published in the South African Journal of
Science.
By RAVI NESSMAN
.c The Associated Press
