Suspecting Shakespeare using stimulants when creating art

Scientists from South Africa have used a new technology to elucidate the mysteries within the pipes found in the garden of the famous playwright William Shakespeare.

The mystery of William Shakespeare 's pipe

Scientists from South Africa have used a new technology to elucidate the mysteries within the pipes found in the garden of the famous playwright William Shakespeare . This new technology helps detect the remnants of smoke that haunt the material from which it can determine its chemical composition.

They found traces of the 400-year-old pipe that Shakespeare once used, of Nicotiana's North American tobacco (which produces nicotine) and Peruvian coca leaves (containing cocaine). .
In all 24 fragments collected, the scientists concluded that marijuana traces were found in 8 samples, nicotine in 1 sample and at least 2 samples with cocaine of Peruvian coca leaves.

There is also previous evidence that people in the UK began smoking with coca leaves at the beginning of the 17th century. At that time, it was not known the addictive effects of these drugs. But people just think that they are weeds that stimulate the brain.

Shakespeare also wrote about this weed in his artwork. As in the musical Sonnet 76, he wrote about ' inventing a weed'. In that work, Shakespeare used puns to refer to a drug made from compounds and weeds.

From the scientific analysis and the literature, the researchers believe that Shakespeare used tobacco in his pipe that has the same composition as cannabis today. And he most likely wrote classics like Hamlet, Othello or Romeo and Juliet while smoking this drug.

Illustrating a character in "The Fourth Man" resembles Shakespeare.

According to historical records, in the 17th century, Sir Francis Drake was the one who brought coca leaves from Peru to England and Sir Walter Raleigh who brought Nicotiana back from Virginia, North America. In the book Herbal by John Gerard published in 1597 about herbs, mentioned some herbs that stimulate the brain and depict the image of some people in the same situation as intoxicating drug.

As confirmed by Mark Griffiths, a reporter and editor of Country Life magazine, one of 'The Fourth Man' above is the famous playwright Shakespeare. However, this is only a hypothesis and has not been officially recognized.