Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1884-12-11
THE eAGus STALK.
The Most Terrible and Fatal Intoxf-
cant Yet Discovered

DO JOu AHOW WAdI tHdt ISL Sd1u tuu
captain of bark lately returned from
cruise in the Southern seas to Call re-
porter who was prowling around the
waterfront in search of items. He held
in his hand what appeared to be a gaudily
painted BARRIERS pole shrunken to the
size of a policeman's club. The re-
porter surveyed the object curiously and
admitted that he could not guess what it
was.
THAT" continued the skipper, taking
the nondescript object from the reporters
hands and caressing it as though it was
kitten, sis piece of gagus stalk. 1t
came from Gauptil Island, near the
Mollucca group. 1 have navigated
the South Seas for many years, and /
never saw it growing upon any other
island, and I don't think you will find
any seafaring man who halls from those
waters but will bear out what I say
"But what is it2" questioned the re-
porter, cycling the curiosity. "Gagus
root2"
Eyes, that's as near as we sailors can
get to what the natives call it. I've
heard those four-eyed scientific lubbers
call it by name yard long, but I
might as well have tried to reef main
sail alone as to reel it around my mental
windlass. Gagus is good enough for
me-"
"Who painted itp' went on the re-
porter.
''Painted itl Why, that's the way it
grew" cried the skipper, with laugh.
Il guess you haven't seen anything like
it before"
The reporter admitted that he had not,
and asked the captain to dissipate at
ence the cloud of mystery surrounding
the 'gagus."
"Itisa species of cactus" he explained,
"and, as I said, grows only, to my knowl-
edge, on Gauptil island. The island is
small one, but is well populated by ma
tives of the Malay race. In the interior
this plant grows wild, fourishing es-
pecially in the red rocky soil. It looks
beautiful when growing, as you might
judge by the bright hues with which
this is spotted. The main stalk is Gov
cred with sharp, nettle-like protuber-
ances, and prick from one of them will
cause more pain than handful of red
pepper thrown in your eyes. When
young the plant consists of but one stalk,
which shoots up straight to height of
four or five feet. 1t is brilliant scarlet
in hue. Toward winter number Of off
shoots spring out until the thing looks
like broom stood upright. Green and
purple specks then appear all over it. A
grove of gsgus shrubs is very pretty
sight. But it is the properties of the
plant which distinguish it. Opium is
potent drug, but will back the extract
from the gagus stalk to effect more dam
age 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 a pint is
enough for an ordinary man, but / have
seen natives drink more. When half
on hour after imbibing it the drinker
becomes perfectly stupid and lies around
like log. The spell lasts a day or
more, during which time the natives say
they live in paradise.
do white men drink it?''
6 have known sailors to try it, but
they never tackled it twice. Three
years ago had man in my crew who
was driven crazy by one drink"
What effect does it have upon the
natives?"
We'll, that is where the gagus dis
plays itself. Ii you could see some Of
the terrible examples Of gagus drinking
In Gauptil you would be horrifed. The
first effect of the liquor is to soften the
bones and gradually eat them away.
There are natives there, the victims of
gagus, who are indeed boneless and un-
able to walk or use their 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 becomes soft as pulp, no bones
can be felt; the skull is completely eaten
away The 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-
vastate human beingf' asked the re-
porter.
g That is according to the appetite of
the victim to the stuff. Usually two
years will finish the hardest man. Oh,
the suffering of the slaves to the drink
are terrible
The piece Of plant was again sub
jected to an inspection by the reporter,
and this time with some manifest inter
est.
g You see, it is hard, said the captain
dropping it on the deck to prove his
words; "and this is harmless unless, 1
presume, it was soaked in water and the
liquor drank. .n-isan Francisco CaH.
A Partisan doctor prescribed for lady
who had objections against growing
stout, "Take exercise, my dear lady.