The Van Buren press. [volume] (Van Buren, Ark.) 1859-1914, 1897-01-16
LOVE PoTioNs IN DEMAND.
stsre in New York Where Mystic PhiItera
Arc sold.


Love potions and love charms ars
regular articles of trade in many OF the
aueer-looking little shops on New
York's great east side. They are to BE-
found for the most part in the dirty
looking groceries and the oyercrowded
dry goods shops.
There Is also a constant demand
for sleeping potions" as well as for
various odd poisons whose use is little
understood by the medical profession
here. Perhaps Il these poisons couldba
traced their use might solve many an
east side mystery tina. has bafied 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 in 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 a Roumanian.
with half Russian type of face, picked
up a peculiar amber ring. which he
offered for sale as "love ring"
an the east" he said, "a number Of
/ ~ IT
citing love in a cold and careless lover
Some of these drugs are made into
medicines, or 1--we potions,' TO ba
swallowed, but there are many love
charms which car, be made up with
| iewelry or worn or the body. Amber is
firmly believed by the peasants in
southern Europe 10 have peculiar pow
ers in causing ono who wears it to BE-
loved 1t is made into lockets. or set in
a ring, or carried in bag 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 i
| liquid form to be taken internally. It
is brown-colored liquid of hot taste
and strong, disagreeable odor. 1t 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. Mor
OF these love potions,' or love phil.
ters'" continued the old Roumanam
s'orekeeper, "must have originated in
oriental countries. where such things
/ w. he ar1t
est times.
another new drug used to stimulate
the emotions OF love is 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 secret love
medicine" and is now used by physi.
clans for that purpose. 1t acts like
strychnine, which is one of the most
powerful drugs known, but it also has
special action in exciting the passions
One of the Oldest of "love potions' is
called "the essence of pearls" 1t dates
back to the time OF Antony and Cleo
patra.
among the German peasants" con.
|
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 ignois
ant A stick OF lovage root is supposed
by them to be eflicacious In exciting
love. 1t is used by young wives or un-
married girls who have doubts about
their husbands or lovers. The loyage
root is made into powders and baked in
cakes given to the men to eat, or put
into wine or beer for them to drink. An
old superstition teaches that bats
blood is an excellent antidote for an
apathetic lover.
Nutmeg has been thought to haze
similar powers. A diet OF mushrooms
and truffles is recommended by the Ger
mans as a stimulant to the emotion Of
love"
The old Roumanian storekeeper had
a curiously carved wooden chest con.
, tanning several little metal TASKS with
some Of these Glove potions." which he
had brought from his native land lie
also had recipes for the manufacture Of
others, but these he declined to show
He seemed proud Of his reputation
which had brought him patrons not
only from his own people, but people
OF various nationalities, even including
Irish and negroes.-N. Y. Press.