The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1896-12-25
LOVE PHILTERS.
Regular Articles Of Trade In New
York Shops
Secret Stores Where Sleeping Potiopi
and Other Qcsck Nostrums Arc
Sold In . Surreptitious
Manner.

Love potions and love charms arr
regular articles of trade in many of thu
queer-looking little shops on New
York's great east side. They are to b.
found for the most part in the dirty.
looking groceries and the overcrowded
dry goods shops
There is also q constant demand
for sleeping potions" as well as fol
various odd poisons whose use is little
understood by the medical profession
here Perhaps if these poisons could b.
traced their use might solve many an
east side mystery that has bafficd the
police. Your east side foreigner has
been in the habit of buying such things
in obscure stores in the cities and towns
where she used to live and the demand
Is still supplied in one way or another
in New York.
The writer discovered one Of these
secret stores IL walk On the east side,
It was connected with little dry goods
shop east of Third avenue. His atten.
ton was attracted to a collection OF
amber beads, which on the east side
and other parts of the town are freely
sold to anxious parents, who tie them
about the necks of their children to
keep off Group. The proprietor Of the
shop, who seemed to be RoumaEian.
with half Russian type Of face, picked
up a peculiar amber ring, which he
offered for sale IS ''love ring"
"In the east" he said, "a number OF
drugs are used for the purpose of ex.
citing love in a cold and careless lover.
Some of these drugs are made into
medicines, or love potions,' to be
swallowed, but there are many love
charms which can be made up with
jewelry or worn ON the body. Amber is
firmly believed by the peasants In
southern Europe to have peculiar pow
ers in causing one who wears it to be
loved. It is made into leckets, or set in
a ring, OF carried in a Gag around the
neck.
amber is also distilled into an oil
end is used as one OF the ingredients of
love potions,' which are given In
liquid form to be taken internally. It
is a brown-colored liquid Of hot taste
and a strong. disagreeable odor. It is
poisonous in large doses, but in small
amounts is freely used in southern
countries. 1t is frequently rubbed in
the back with wonderful effect Most
Of these love potions,' or love phil
ters.'" continued the old Roumanisn
storekeeper, 'must have originated in
oriental countries, where such things
have been in common use from the earli-
est times.
Another new drug used to stimulate
the emotions of love is a salt Of gold,
originally discovered by the old al
chemists in their attempts to make gold
out Of silver or the other baser metals.
It was long ago used as a secret "love
medicine" and is now used by. physi-
rians for that purpose. It acts like
which is one of the most
powerful drugs known. but 1t also has
special action in exciting the passions.
One of the Oldest OF Glove potions" Is
called ''the essence of pearls" It dates
back to the time of Antony and Cleo
patra. @e -
among the German peasants," cob
tinued the old Rouman:an, "a number
of strange superstitions has been
handed down, which are practiced even
among the Germans in New York city
to-day, at least among the more ignor-
ant. A stick of lovage root is supposed
hx, fhor, IN h, o-HSoao;o,S, Z, ovo;%;ro
love. 1t Is used by young wives or uf-
married girls who have doubts about
their husbands or lovers The lovage
root Is made into powders and baked in
cakes given to the men to sat, or put
into wine or beer for them to drink. An
old superstition teaches that bats
blood Is an excellent antidote for I'm
a pathetic lover.
Nutmeg has been thought to have
similar powers. A diet Of mushrooms
and tl'uffles Is recommended by the Ger
mans as stimulant to the emotion of
love-"
The old Roumanian stprekeeper hud
a curiously carved wooden chest cen
tanning several little metal TASKS with
Some OF these ''love putions," which Re
had brought from his native land Ho
also had recipes for tho manufacture of
others, but these nc declined to show.
He seemed proud Of bis reputation.
which had brought him patrons not
only from his own people. but people |
Of various nationalities, even including |
Irish and negrOes-N v preSs