The Washington times., 1904-10-23
The ~
MoSCOl
Button.

mescaI debaUc1. The use Of the but
/ tons is confined entirely TO the braves,
and no women are allowed 70 take part
I Ia the rites.
+ one commendable feature about the
drug is that il does not excite the ills
humor Of the consumer. and consequent
/ ~ no hery outbreaks because or its
/ haIeful influence have ever been record
ed
/ The contrary is the effect following
/ excessive debauchery. The senses are
/ deadeued and there is an accompanying
yitiation OF the intellect as well as a
/ physical lassitude totally uniting the
I subject for work. Five buttons are
+ considered the maximum amount for
/ the beginner and sufficient for the eff
( feet desired.
Mescal Buttons as Medicine.
| 8Iescal buttons may be OF great value
/ in the practice of medicine. so say the
/ doctors. Used IN moderation mescal has
/ proved q wonderful remedy for nervous
ness, nervous headache. nervous, irrita-
tive cough, pain due TO collie, and hys-
] terIeaI diseases. It has relieved insomnia
/ in cases where other narcotics have fail
/ ed But although 10 gives temporary re-
/ lief In most cases IL does not eftect q
permanent cure. and the patient is fore
/ ed 10 continue taking small doses OF the
drug.
+ one case Of beneficial results obtained
: from the buttons was the relief from
. neurasthenia OF "A high school principal
/ He was twenty-five years old, and had
4 been III for six months. Three buttons
/ were given him within an hour. Char
/ acteristic visions We're produced By the
drug and relief from the bodily aud
mental fatigue which he had suffered.
] He declared that he was himself again
and cheerful and happy. on the next
/ day and for several days thereafter ne
felt the good effects OF the drug. He
has continued its use in doses of one
half button when he feels IL necessary.
II invariably relieves the sense Of bodily
and mental fatigue.
! MescaI buttons must not be confused
with a drink called mescaI which is
freely used In Arizona and nearby
States. This drink, which is more pow
erful than absinthe. is thick and light IN
color. The word 'locoed' was made es-
peciaIly 20 ut the state of the man who
had become intoxicated on mescaL The
drink has no soothin" effect such as Is
produced by the buttons, but makes men
lighting mad. Their eyes are bIoodshot
ana they are for the time being crazed
Cow boys are especially addicted 10 this
drink and many OF their wild escapadez
can be traced TO its use. To say that q
man is Iocoed today is the same as say
ling that he is a candidate for an insane
/. asylum,
Havelock Ellis Eats Buttons.
Il In New York city several experiments
s have recently been made with mesCal
3 buttons. HaVeI0ck Ellis determined 20
B experiment on himself with the drug
{ After q transient consciousness of en-.
81 ergy he felt faint and giddy. Pale violet
p shadows hOated before him, suggesting
/ though not definitely forming. pictures
The air seemed TO be flushed with q
vague perfume. Then he saw glorious
. fields Of jewels, which spraug INTO fioW,
cT-like shapes bCnea b his gaze. ana ther
B turned into gorgeous butterfly forms
~ was further impressed" he says
mot only by The briILauce, delicacy anC
variety OF the cOI0rss but even more by
their lovely and various textures" He
compared them to living arabesques
. Familiar objects assumed The beautiful
shadoWy effects seen In Claude Monet.
. pictures. phe visions subsidized into hu,
man figures. fantastic and Chinese, as
he settled down into peaceful and
Idreamlsss sleep, waking at his usua.
b. time with no fatigue or unpleasant
? / "reminiscences. Ever since, he believes
he has been more sensitive 10 defeat,
phenomena or light and shade and color
An artist 10 whom he gave the drus
% experienced a pain at the heart and
sense 81 imminent death. He says
, with the suddeuness Of q ueuralgi
2 paug, the back OF my head seemed q
open and admit strea ms OF bright color
. ] had the sensation OF the skin disap
peariug from the brow, of dead flesh
and finally OF d skull" His attire ap
/ peared 70 change into a richly colOre
3 medieval costume. ANY movement le