The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1884-12-25
i.1e JUICE OF THE oAGus.
4 More Deadly Lethal Drink Than AM
Known tn Civilization.

4 More Deadly Letial Drink Than AM
Known IN Civilization.
''Do you know what that is?'' said
the Captain of bark lately returned
from a cruise, in the Southern seas.
He held in his hand what appeared to
be gaudil y-painted barber's pole
shrunken to the size of policeman
club.
ut came from Gauptil Island. near
the Molucca group. 1 have navigated
the South t,eas for many years. and !
never saw 1T growing upon any other
island, ami 1 don't think you will find
any sea-faring man who halls from
those wasers but will bear out what
I say. tiagus stalk is as near as we
| sailors can get to what the natives
there call it. I've heard these four
eyed scientific lubbers call it by a
name a yard long, but l might as
well have tried to reef mainsail
alone ..s TO reel it around my mental
windlass. Gagus is good enough for
me-
"Wno painted it?"
"Why, jigger me, that's the way it
grew. >" cried the skipper, with laugh.
1t is Il species of cactus, and grows only
to my knowledge ON Gauptil Island.
The island is a small one, but is well
populated by natives of the Malay race.
In .he interior this plant grows wild,
fiourishing especially in the rocky soil.
1t looks beautiful when growing, as
you may Judge by the bright hues with
which this is spotted. The main stalk
is covered with sharp. nettle-like pro-
tuberances, and prick from one of
them will cause more pain than hand
full of red-pepper thrown in your eyes.
When young the plant consists of but
one stalk, which shoots up straight to
a height of four or five feet. 1t is a
brilliant scarlet in hue. Toward win
te~ number of offshoots spring out
til the thing looks like broom
stood upright. Green and purple
sp?cks then appear all over it. A grove
of gagus shrubs is a very pretty sight.
But it is the properties Of the plant
which distinguish it. Opium is po-
tent drug, but will back the extract
from the gagus stalk to effect more
damage on the human system than all
the opium in the world. The natives
cut the plant in the early spring. After
they have gathered sufficient quantity
they put it in large bowls and crush it
with huge stones. A grayish sap runs
out freely, and this they collect
and drink after letting it ferment,
Which it does easily. One drink of
pint is enough for an ordinary man,
mt l have seen natives drink more.
Within half an hour after imbibing it
the drinker becomes perfectly stupid
and lies around like log. The spell
lasts day or more, during which time
The natives say they live in paradise.
have known sailors to try it, but they
never tackledit twice. Three years agOI
had man in my crew who was driven
crazy by one drink. If you could see
some of the terrible examples of gagus
drinking in Gauptil you would be hor-
ritled. The first effect of the liquor is
20 soften the bones, and gradually eat
them away. There are natives there,
The victims of gagus, who are indeed
5oDeless and unable to walk or use
iheir limbs. They then begin to wither
away like this stalk until they die in
misery and commissions. Immediately
after death, the head of the corpse be-
comes soft as pulp, no bones can be
Fit, the skull is completely eaten away.
Tie body then begins to swell as though
it were inflated with gas and immediate
burial is necessary"
..How long does it take to thus de-
yastate human being?"
Usually two years will finish the
hardest man. Oh. the suffering of the
slaves to the drink are terrible. San
Francisco Gail.