The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1884-11-22
TIE GAGus Stalk.
The Most Terrible and Fatal Intoxicant Yet
Discovered.


San Francisco Call.
do you know what that is7" said the captain
of a bark lately returned from cruise in the
southern seas, to Call reporter, who was
prowling around the water front in search of
items He held in his hand what appeared to be
a gaudily painted BARRIERS pole shrunken to the
size of a pohcemans club. The reporter sur
veyed the object curOusly, and admitted that he
could not guess what it was.
That continued the skipper, taking the
nondescript object from the reporters hands and
caressiug it as though it was kitten, is piece
of gagus stalk. 1t came from Gauptil island
near the Molucca group. l have navigated the
South seas for many years, and ! never saw it
growing upon any other island, and don't think
you will find any seafaring man who halls from
those waters but will bear out what 1 say"
But what is itP questioned the reporter, eye
ing the curiosity. "Gagus root!"
Eyes, that's 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 g
yard long, but l might as well have tried to reeS
a mainsal alone as to'reel it around my mental
windlass. Gagus is good enough for me-
''Who painted it," went on the reporter, a sus-
picion creeping into his mind that the captain
had ornamented it with color for the purpose of
selling it to some Democrat to put in his hat
Painted it' Why jigger me, that's the way
it grew" cried the skipper, with a 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 once the cloud
OIL III ySLeEY surrounding Ine SdSuS.
1T is species of cactus" he explained, "and
as said 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 the
interior this plant grows wild, hourishing espe-
cially in the red rocky soil. 1t looks beautiful
when growing as you might judge by the bright
bues with which this is spotted. The main stalk
is covered with sharp, nettle-like protubernaces,
and prick from one of them will cause more
pain than a 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 a brilliant scar
let in hue. Toward winter number of offshoots
spring out until the thing looks like a broom
stood upright Green and purple specks 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
potent drug but l will back the extract from
the gagus stalk to effect more damage the
human system than all the opium in the world.
The natives cut the plant in the early spring.
After they have gathered a sufficient quantity
the put it in large bowls and crush it with huge
stones. 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, but 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"
do white men drink itl'
Il have known sailors to try it, but they
never tackled it twice There years ago had a
man in my crew who was driven crazy by one
drink"
What effect does it have upon the natives?"
well, that is where the gagus displays itself.
If you could see some of the terrible ex-
amples of gagus drinking in Gauptil you
would be Mortified 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 homeless and unable
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 complete
ly eaten away The body then begins to swell
as though it were inflated with gas and immedi-
ate burial is necessary.
How long does 1t take to thus devastate hu
man bengl" asked the reporter.
THAT is according to the appetite of the vic
tim to the stuff. Usually two years will finish
the hardest man. Oh, the sufferings of the
slaves to the drink are terrible.
The piece of plant was again subjected to an
inspection by the reporter, and this time with
some manifest interest.
"You see. it is hard" said the captain, drop
ping it on the deck to prove his words; ''and
this is harmless unless presume, it was soaked
in water and the liquor drunk"