The Washington times., 1904-10-23
Mescal a Drug Which Surpasses Hashish
and Furnishes Devotees Dreams
More Enhancing Than
De QuinCey's


intoxicated by alcohol His pulse was
slightly quickened, but there was no
rise of temperature But for a wild look
in his eye and his disconnected con-
versation you would never have had an
mixing of his true condition. He could
not talk logically when under the full
influence OF the drug, and his ideas
wandered like those OF a fever patient
For ten hours he was absolutely under
the control OF the buttons. The rest
of the time he was partially himself.
Afterward he was unable 10 remember
what he had said or done during those
ten hours. AS he was getting over the
debauch I noticed that he was from time
10 time seized with muscular tremor.
But this soon passed and ne seemed as
well when the last traces Of the drug
were gone as he had ever been 1t is a
mental iut0xication rather than physi-
cal
$50 far I have not heard Of a demand
for the buttons in Washington. am
not sure whether the District authori-
ties would prevent the sale OF mescal
buttons. but as il is undoubtedly a
poison / suppose the laws governing. the
sale Of p0isons would cover it,
What is this WOnTdeful drug2 A mere
bit OF dried cactus. This species OF cac-
tus is found In the valleys Of the Rio
/ Graade and the Pecos rivers, IN Texas
and New Mexico. in barren rocky soil.
/ and often in places which can be reached
only with great dihculty by those who
gather IL. The plant resembles a carrot
/ in shape, growing but d few inches
above the surface of the ground, and
( extending a I0ug-p0inted root into the
I soil The body of the plant is compare
lively thick. IL IS surmOunted by top
which is composed mainly OF the blunt
/ leaves. in the center OF this top Is "a
+ tuft about one-haIf to one inch in diam
/ eter. composed Of yeuOwish white hairs.
+ These tops when dried constitute the
mescaI buttons They are brown, cir
cular and about the size OF silver dol
lar The edge Of the button Curls up
ward giving the under surface a con
vex appearance. In the center OF the up
per surface is a tuft OF the yellowisf
hairs above mentioned, matted down 80
+ as 70 just about reach the level of tnt
I upturned edge. The button IS hard and
. brittle. But when placed in the mouth II
. sxeIls and rapidly becomes soft, and
. gives the same sensation as slippery
elm. It's taste is bitter and nauseous-
Buttons Part Of Religion.
The Kiowa Indians and their ASSOCIATE
/ tribes, formerly ranging from the Ar
I kansas River southwark into Mexico
/ have. from the earliest period, made us
. OF the buttons DO their religious cere
monies When finally gathered upon TIT
I KIowa reservation in the Indian Terri
Z tory which they now occupy, they con
/ tiuucd the use OF the buttons in thei
/ ceremonies, the demand being supplied
. by traders. who obtain IL from the val
lev OF the Rio Grande. It's use ha
spread 10 such an extent that the rit
I has become the chief religion or all IN
tribes OF the Southern plains. Complain
has been made TO the authorities a
Washington by missionaries and Gov
eminent agents. The eating OF the drul
has been declared unlawful and wa
forbidden 10 the Indians under sever
penalties. Nevertheless the use Of IN
buttons has persisted to the presen
time. and now that the whites are takinl
it up. the custom win probably never b
/. lost while there is a plant 70 be found.
The religious ceremony OF the indiana
usually takes place on Saturday night
The men seat themselves ia a circle
within the tent around a large FIRE
which IS kept burning brightly. after Z
prayer the leader hands each man fOui
buttons. and each having been freeC
from the tufts Of hair Is put into IN,
. Z moulin. ALL@L ~ has DEEL LLtQED4e5l4Aa
/ sofsencd Il IS elected into the palm Of
the hand, rolled into a ball, and sWaI
\ lowed. AT midnight each man calls To-
as many mescals as he wants, and @
this way ten or twelve OF the buttons
as q rule are taken AT ore sitting. They
SID quietly throughout the ceremony
while the ere throws a lurid glow UpOl
the whole scene. and a continual sing
Ing and drumming is kept up. Most o.
the time the Indians are IN a state o.
reverie. The hours are intersperse,
with songs. prayers for the sick. anl
baptismals. They sit thus from sun
down 10 nearly noon OF the next day
Al the close OF the ceremony they g,
out without the slightest depression o.
UNPLEASANT after eneCt. Upon the fol
lowing dgy they carefully abstain from
the use OF common salt with their food
This Is, hoWever, merely a religious Gus
; tom ara not because the salt W0ull
i have any eject upon them after ia