The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-10-07
THE FASCINATING MEscALV
Use of the Plant by the Iadsans
New Mexico.

''All efforts On the part of the Govern
ment toward stopping the use OF the in
toxicating mescal plant among the Kiowa
Indians Of New Mexico are unayailine"
said an official es the Indian Bureau. THE
Kicwas,r he continued. were the FIRST 10
discover the fascinating properties OF the
mescal, which must not be COMPOUNDED
with the intoxicating drink OF the same
| name made from an agave. The plant In
question is brown and brittle substance,
| nauseous and bitter to the taste. its
buttons or blunt dried leaves being chew
| ed and swallowed by the devotees. The
rite usually takes place on Saturday
| night, the men sitting in a circle within
| the tent around a large camp Are. which
| is kept burning brightly all the time.
| After prayer the leader hands each man
| four buttons, which are slowly chewed
| and swallowed, and altogether about ten
| or twelve buttons are consumed by each
| man between shutdown and daybreak.
| Throughout the night the men sit quiet
| iy about the fire in a state of reyerie-
amid continual singing and the beating
of drums BY Observation-Disclosures in the
color visions and the manifestations OF
mescal intoxication, and about noon on the
following day, when the effects have pass
| ed on they get up and go about their BUSH
ness. without any depression or other IN
| pleasant after effect
| The meseaI is found exclusively in the
| Mexican valley of the Rio Grande, the an
| cestral home Of the Kiowa Indians. as we'll
as in Texas, and it effects as a drug can
best be likened to those of the Indian has
chich.
Mr.. James Mooney, OF the Bureau Of
Ethnology, first called the attention OF the
Anthropologieal Society OF this city 20 the
use among the Kiowas of the mescal and
short time ago he brought with him to
Washington supply of the plant. which
was handed over for examination to Drs.
Prentiss and Morgan. These Investigators
experimental on several young men and for
the first time demonstrated the precise
character Of mescal intoxication and the
| extraordinary visions TO which II gave
rise But perhaps the best account we
| have, so far. OF the effects OF the drug is
! furnished by Dr. Havelock Ellis. the Eng
lish scientist DR.. Ellis thus records his
| sensations while under the influence of
| mescal:
'On Good Friday found myself entire
| iy alone in the quiet rooms in the Tenn
pie, which occupy when in London, and
judged the occasion a fitting one for
personal experiment. / made deeoction
America) OF three buttons, the full
| physiological dose, and drank this at in
tervals between 2:90 and 4:30 D. m The
| hrst symptom observed during the after
| noon was a certain consciousness of en-
ergy and intellectual power This passed
| on, and about an hour after the final dose
| felt faint and unsteady; the pulse was
| low, and / found 1t pleansanter to lie
| down. | was still able to read, and /
noticed that pale violet shadow floa.ed
over the page around the point at which
my eyes were fixed. i had already no.
| tfced that objects not in the direct line
/ of vision. such as my HANDS holding the
book, showed a tendency to look obtru-
| sive, heightened in color, almost mon
| strous, while, on closing my eyes, after
| images were vivid and prolonged. The
| appearance of visions with closed eyes
vas very gradual, At first there was
merely vague play OF light and shade
| which suggested pictures, but never made
| them.
Then the pictures became more definite.
but too confused and crowded to be de-
scribed. beyond saying that they were OF
the same character as the images of the
Kaleidoscope, symmetrical groupings OF
! spiked objects. Then, in the course Of the
evening. they became distinct, but still
| indescribable-mostly vast field of golden
! Jewels studded with red and green stones,
ever changing This moment was, perhaps.
! the most delightful OF the experience for
at the same time the air around me seemed
to be flushed with vague perfume produce
| ing with the visions delicious effect and
| all discomfort had vanished, except slight
| faintness and tremor OF the hands. which.
later on, made it almost impossible to guide
a pen as l made notes of the experiment.;
| it was, however. with an effort, always
/ possible to write with pencil. The visions
IL.
were extremely definite, but yet always
novel; they were constantly approaching,
and yet constantly eluding the semblanee
of known things. ! would see thick, glori-
Gus fields of jewels, solitary or clustered,
sometimes brilliant and sparkling. some
times with a dull rich glow. Then they
would spring up into foxer-iike shape,
beneath my gaze. and then seem to turn
into gorgeous butterfly forms or endless
folds of glistening irridescent fbrous
wings OF wonderful insects. / was sur
prised not only by the enormous profusion
of the imagery presented to my gaze but
still more by its variety. Perpetually some
totally new kind OF effect would appear in
the field of vision, sometimes there WAS a
swift movement sometimes dull sombre
richness of color sometimes glitter and
sparkle; once a startling rain OF gold,
which seemed to approach me. Most usual
ly there was a combination OF rich, sober
coioT. with jewel-like points Of brilliant
hue
Many distinguished artists, poets, musi-
clans. etc. have tried the effects of the
mescal and the extent of its use among
such would form an interesting subject
for investigation. All testimony ELECTED
so far tends to show that the effect of the
American Indian drug is an extraordinary
heightening and refining of ordinary
every day phenomena. The mind so far
from being obscured, becomes more acute
and invests he commonest objects and
sensations with novel and delightful in
terest.
The Situation In Ohio.
From the Cleveland Plain Dealsr.)
The table OF estimated pluralities by counties,