Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1871-08-01

Of the Indians, the effect OF which
much resembles that of ticunas, men
toned further on. Br0die traces It's
action directly to the brain. Then
there is the renowned curare, or u
rare distempladO, found along the
Oronoco, The strongest is procured
.af the Village of Mandavaca, at the
confluence of the OronOco and the Rio
Negro There are several varities,
huf lhe most potent is the product OF
q climbing plant. Its juice Is dark
yellow. and, when concentrated py
heat, becomes a syrup. IL Is Ineh
mixed with thestin thicker Juice OF the
Kiraeo. guero tree to give it consist,
ency. When well prepared 1t Will
keep for several years, but 1t IS gen
orally active only when fresh. Inc
Able Gilig has described It's enecUSl
which, in certain small doses, ACT
with the rapidity of lightning: IL
may be placed in the mouth, ano, ~
some animals, even eaten without
serious consequences, but once let IL
/ touch the merest scratch, 80 as toreacn
the blood, and the consequences are
| fearful. It annihilates the nervous
system, and small animals drop utter
" stiff and dead in a second. hume
boldt SAYS that where there Is Tune
| salt water and chOrure of sodium ar
the best antid0tes. GoudOt and Orhla
| state that it is an Indian arrow poison,
and acts instantaneOusly. Humboldt
speaks of feeling i'll while merely
handling the fruit of the destemplado
of La Peca while sketching 1t. The
great American poison, however,
| Specially so called, is the ''Ticunas.'
De La COudamine informs Us thatIt IS
extracted by boiling from several par
ticular kinds OF South American
climbing pants, and FlOurens, Orpila,
and Others ascribe to it peculiar power
over the intellect. The best is said to
be gathered on the Island of Marmo-
rette. 1t dissolves easily in water and
mineral and vegetable acids, but
makes no efferveseence with either
acids or alkalies, and dries without
cracking. II is administered to con-
demned women in the valley OF the
Amazon, sometimes putting them TO
death slowly, and sometimes with the
rapidity of a thunderbolt, according
to the size of the dose, and the method
|. of its administration.
Each and all these pOisOns affect the
-
mind, Supplying, exciting or Grazing
|, the brain, according to the quantity
EMPLOYED: and, with the exception o.
: curare, equally attack the blood and
4 the saliva. Among them the bean o.
/, st, Ignatius is the most powerful
taken internally, and the Ticunas thf
; slOWest and most insidiOus. The laGtel
can be rendered tasteless and nOdor
a ous. and can be given in food, drink
! or by the prick of a pin, and beyond
: peradventure il is the favOrite death
. dealing drug of the VaUdOuX Or"Obr'
, men, To this fatal extract famous
chemists have ascribed the death o
I Madame S0ntag, whose sudden de'
+ mise in Mexico, occurring almos
4 simultaneously with that OF the laVor
, tie Young tenor who accompanied ne
; and her husband on the American
+ tour, so shocked the people OF Doll
: hemisphere5 q lew years since. ina
n she died from poison few Mexican
pretend to doubt, but how was a secre
& that only the initiated knew. IN
whisper, however, q from lip to III
that for some reason she had lncurrei
the ~displeagure of some member OF tn
Vaudoux, or of some one who was &C
duainted with their mysterious poi
sOning lore.
- But a still more startling instanc
recurs TO our memory, where there ]
the strongest cause to believe that tn
VaudOux poison was again bTOugh
into deadly operation. Old resident
o of Washington City are well aWaT
q that VaudOux and "Obi" men hav
q been met with more than once anon
the colOred people of the District {
Columbia: and it was openly state
at the time that the Mexican mulatt
g cook at the National Hotel, when To
v great poisoning of 1857 occurred, wa
one of those people. The suspIclo
5 that he was the secret culprit, wit
coadiutors elsewhere, was cOntirme
by his sudden and mysterious di5ap
q pearance when the alarm first spread
The President elect, James Buchanan
Robert ]. Walker, and a host {
others. it will be remembered, barrel
Il escaped with their lives. Many sui
d seduently died at their homes IN Gil
If tant parts of the country from To
4 continued efectso of their dose at vast
inpton; and we have distinguishe
Il medical authority for stating tina
f there are others who feel its deStruei
i've traces to this day, Sufferers wei
/. counted by the hundred, and uluma'
!. deaths by the dozen. The true caus
bafied the skill of the medical n;
l. ternity, az voIuminOus documents !
the National Library abundant
ohoH