The Pioche weekly record. [volume] (Pioche, Nev.) 1877-1900, 1897-02-18
LOVE PHILTERs.
Regular Articles OF Trade In New
York Shops.
secret stores Where Sleeping POSiOns
and Other Quack ROstruma Are
SOLD In . SUBSCRIPTIONS
Manner


sold In . SUBSCRIPTIONS
Manner.
Love potions and love charms are
regular articles of trade in many OF the
queer-looling 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 osercrowded
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 if these poisons couldbo
traced their use might solve many ap
east side mystery that has baftied 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 thsse
secret stores in a walk on the east side.
1t was connected with little dry goods
shop east of Third avenue. His atten-
ton was attracted to 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 Roumanian,
with half Russian type of face, picked
up peculiar amber ring. which he
offered for sale as a "love ring"
in the east" he said, "a number OF
drugs are used for the purpose of ex-
citing love in cold and careless lover.
Some of these drugs are made into
medicines, or love potions, 10 be
swallowed, but there are many love
charms which can be made up with
iewelry or worn on the body. Amber is
firmly believed by the peasants in
southern Europe 10 have peculiar pow
ers in causing one who wears it to be
loved 1t is made into lockets, or set in
ring, or carried in a bag around the
| neck.
amber is also distilled into an oil
and is used as one of the ingredients of
love potions,' which are given in il
| liquid form to be taken internally. 1t
is brown-colored liquid of hot taste
and a strong, disaSreeable odor. 1t is
poisonous in large doses, but in small
amounts is freely used in southern
countries. ltsis frequently rubbed in
the back with wonderful effect. Most
of these love potions,' or love phil
ters.'" continued the old Roumanian
storekeeper, must have originated in
oriental countries, where such things
have been in common use from the earli-
est times.
Another new drug used 10 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.
1t was long ago used as a 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 d
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
tinued the old Roumanian, "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 ignot
ant. A stick Of loyage root Is supposed
by them to be efficacious in exciting
love. 1t is used by young wives or un
married girls who have doubts about
their husbands or lovers. The lovagC
root Is made into powders and baked II
cakes given to the men to eat, or pu
into wine or beer for them to drink. AZ
, old superstition teaches that bat
blood Is an excellent antidote for 4,
s apathetic lover.
5 Nutmeg has been thought to hav
U similar powers. A diet of mushroom
and truffles is recommended by the Ger
mans as stimulant to the emotion o
love-"
8 The old Roumanian storekeeper ha,
3 a curiously carved wooden chest COZ
/! tanning several little metal TASKS wit
S some of these love potions," which b
had brought from his native land. Fl
y also had recipes for the manufacture c
. others, but these he declined to show
BE seemed proud of his reputation
which had brought him patrons nc
only from his own people, but peopl
Of various nationalities, even includin
Irish and negroes.-N, Y Press.