The Banner-Democrat. [volume] (Lake Providence, East Carroll Parish, La.) 1892-current, 1902-02-01
|SOME NARCOTIC PLANTS.
STRANGE INToxIcANTS USED BY
SOUTH AMERICAN NATIVES.


The Upas Tree 10 q Myth<-The Exhiiara-
tion Caused BY Pareca, Snun Used
by Amazon River Indians-Sleepy Grass
and the Fruit of the Umganu Tree.
Narcotics so appeal to the magma
ton, that sober statements are diff
cult. Travellers tales, intending truth,
are often exaggerated. Even ]. U.
Lloyd imagines fungus that is of the
marvellous, and supposes hidden COM
bination of the elements that alone
equals all the narcotics, and fears it
will destroy our civilization and even
exterminate mankind.
The myths of the Upas tree are SO
inwrought that 1t may be news that 1t
is growing in the midst of coffee plan
tations, birds and lizards on its
branches; properly treated, the inner
bark can be used for garments.
Omitting the Rhus family, passing
the Aminitas that gathers In the mush-
room zealots, only mentioning the
purple larkspur that kills sheep, in
one case ESQ died of 500 affected; the
snow on the mountain" spurge that
blisters like red-hot iron, and its kin
the Caper spurge, of which few seeds
endanger life; the laurel deadly to
sheep and horse and rendering poison
GUS the flesh of animals that may be
themselves immune to the plant; the
loco weed SO injurious to stock that
the state of Colorado paid out in four
years 100000 to check its ravages,
so serious Is it that a horse may be so
locoed as to refuse other food. These
are all well known, but a few of the
less noted are pareca, hidery-rhay
quill, sleepy grass, darnell and tutu.
On the Amazon river, several Indian
tribes use snuff, called pareca, which
Wood says is made of the seeds of
species of Inga; when bout of snuff
taking is determined on the people
become highly intoxicated and then
use the snuff.
The effect of pareca Is so violent that
the taker drops as IL shot, and lies in
sensible for some time; those more &C
customed are highly excited; causing
them to dance and sing as If mad; the
effect soon subsidies; other tribes use
it to repel ague during the wet sea-
son. Lieut. w. J. Herndon, of the
United States navy, in 1851 descend
ed the Amazon; he traded for pareca
and the apparatus for using it and
saw 1t in use and used it. When lost
In the woods, nearly dead from ex
haustion and hunger and fever, unable
to go further, Lieut. Herndon took the
pareca SNUFF. Il instantly fell drunk
on the hammock, but with a peculiar
intoxication, which acted on my limbs
like an electric shock; on rising l
put my foot to the ground, and to my
my surprise felt no pain. At first l
thought I dreamed; / even walked
without being convinced" He then
beat the two Indians guides, and
walked the two remaining hours Of
daylight.
Hidery-guill-rhay or Indian tobac-
co, not plaintain or lobelia, is plant
used by Indians of British Columbia
and Southern Alaska, discontinued by
mainland Indians. but used until 1877
or 1879 by the Hidas of Queen Char
lotte islands.
The plant dried over fire was pound
ed with lime into cakes, chewed or
pouched In the cheek; the effect was
akin to tobacco or opium. The use
and growth of the plant has ceased,
supplanted by tobacco.
Sleepy grass is q Stipa. There are
100 species; s. inebrians, s siberica
arc poisonous and are found in New
Mexico, Texas and Siberia. Sleepy
grass has a most injurious effect
on horses and sheep. 1t is a strong
narcotic or sedative, causing profound
sleep or stupor lasting "a to 48 hours.
The horse after eating 1t is a pitiable
object. head and tail dropping, CULVER
Ing, sweat pouring down his sides,
painting and palpitating. The grass
acts as a powerful narcotic, diuretic,
sudorific and irritant of the respiratory
and cardiac organs. 1t is distinct from
the loco weed.
Darnel, Lolium temulentum, indigo
nous to the old world, introduced into
the United States. apt to grow among
wheat and grain, Is narcotic, produces
vertigo, dizziness, headache and spe-
cies of drunkenness; often eaten In
bread. Beer, in which darnel is an in
gredient, is drank with impunity. A
fatal case Is cited of a peasant, who
had for several days lived on bread,
two-thirds of which was darnel. It
acts thus on man, dogs, sheep and
horses. Hogs, cows, ducks and poul-
try, are fattened on it 1t contains a
volatile alkaloid and solid base which
decomposes to temultenic acid. The
poisonous property is In the base and
acid.
Tutu, or toot plant, Coriara rustifo-
liza, of New Zealand, is also called wine
berry shrub, as wine Is made from the
berries; the seeds are poisonous. 1t is
a shrubby herbaceous plant, five feet
high; horses, goats and pigs are I'M
mune, cattle and sheep may be pol
soned by it. To cattle fresh from
other pastures, or exhausted, the plant
Is nearly always fatal, first Supplying.
then causing strong excitement, death
following in a few hours. Sheep and
cattle are fattened on it, yet when
driven may die. Sheep badly tutued
become hermits, and stupid, but no
worse as mutton.
The Coriara myrtifolia or tanners
sumac of southern France killed a
child that had eaten leaves and berries.
The plant yields white crystalline glu-
coside; three grains killed dog. The
Sioux Indians when participating in
the sun dance chew a dubious root