Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1909-05-07
MExIco,s NARCOTIC PLANTS.
Fifteen Varieties That Act on Nerves
and Cause Insanity.


There are in Mexico about fifteen
plants which act directly on the nervous
system causing various form of insani-
ty. Many Of them are indigenous TO
Mexico. The most famous of these
plants, but by no means the only one
in common use. is the marihuana weed
Generally the leaves are used, by one adj
dicted to its use. in the form of a cigar
cite. However, the same effects can be
secured by eating the roots of the plant
Marihuana is used ID a limited extent
throughout the republic. Its effect on
the brain is immediate. but if taken in
small quantities the user may live for
years and continue the habit Shortly
after smoking or taking the plant inter
nally the user has period of hallucina-
ton or mania, generally accompanied by
defects in the eyesght. and during which
stage the person usually performs all
sorts Of antics and occasionally the most
terrible crimes. After the habit is ac-
quired the taste for all food is lost and
only enough nourishment to retain life is
taken by the person who has formed the
habit. In the latter stages there is a
lingering period of emaciation. charac-
terized by sunken eyeballs, lusterless
hair and feeble movements.
The "toloache" or flower of death >
as it is more commonly known, is found
only i'll the coast countries of southern
Mexico, and is usually taken in nall
quantities internally, producing sleep al
most Immediately, during which the user
has pleasant dreams during the first
stages of the effect of the plani b4r cor
respondingly terrible in the latter STA .es.
1t differs from the effects produced by
marlhuana in that the consumer gives no
outward indication of the influence he is
under.
The Indians in the state of Oaxaca
and Guerrero brew a poisonous stimu-
liant from the seed coatings of the castor
bean. The diluted concoction stimulates
the heart and if care is taken to pre-.
vent overd0ses great endurance is posi-.
BILE while under the effects of the liquid,
The victim of the habit, however, soon
dies from Oyerstimulation.
In Mexico is also found a sort of
mushroom locally known by the Indian
name "teyhuintli." The effect of this
plant when taken internally is immedi.
ate and the results more lasting than any
other. The mind is deranged for sever
al days following the first dose it being
claimed that the person under its influ-
ence is perfectly content with every
thing, but is continually prompted to dc
most peculia~ things. such as climbing
trees, talking with inanimate objects
etc, there being few cases where the
user is violent When the effects wear
off sanity returns, but with an intense
longing to repeat the dose. With the
increase in the size of the dose the pc
RODS of insanity are longer. and finally
become permanent. The peculiar fea-
ture of teyhuintli is that it seems to
have no specially bad physical effects. as
do the other similar poisons. other than
the irreparable loss of the mind
The more common ''peiule" is taken
from a plant of the cocoa family. and is
used entirely as an injection. The In
dams cut one of the small veins in the
forearm and blow the liquid into the
blood vessel with small straw The
effects are the same as with the users Of
| cocaine Mexican Herald.