The Washington times., 1913-06-21
PEYOTE- IS SHOWN
AS DRY WHISKY
Cactus Product Highly Priced
by Indians, as 1t Raises
Their Spirits.

Discussion of 'peyote,'! the cactui
product priced, by Indians and known
variously as the mescal button. dry
whisky. and holy chew. on the foor c!
the Sentae by members of the Commit.
tee on Indian Affairs this week, has
caused no little commotion among some
Of the Capitals most ardent imbiber:
who saw great possibilities in jag that
might grow ready made atop Of cac-
tus plant that would flourish where
corn or rye could never subsist.
Peyote, pronounced pay-o-tay, with
no part;ality as to accent, first claimed
the spotlight when it was moved IN the
Senate-to change the Indian appropria-
tion bill SO that this product would not
be put under the ban with Intoxicating
liquors.
Asked for an explanation, Senator
Fall of New Mexico said that 1t was
mild intoxicant which the chemists had
not clearly identified, and which the In
dams used extensively in their religious
ceremonies.
In Indian Files.
Search of the flies at the Bureau OF
Indian Affairs today gave some expia-
nation of it's religious association. In
report to the Commissioner Ford
Thompson, in charge of the Ponca sub
agency at Niobrsra, Neb.. says:
The moral effect produced by its use
is To leave the Indians feeling penitent
for wrongs they have committed" II
this result is universal. the officials OF
the bureau feel that the spread of the
peyote habit among white men is not to
be feared. -
But the most jgraphich report Of the
action of the drug was that of phy-
sician who showed up four of the but
tons" which are but the dried blossoms
Of a spineless cactus. and then wrote a
complete description of his sensations.
He describes the increased acuteness Of
vision that followed the chewing of the
first two blossoms and tells how he felt
that he was about to fall over back
wards every time he stood up-so much
so that he walked downstairs bent al
most double so he could not tip over.
II was with much difficulty that he
got the last button down and went to
Bed. Considering what followed he re-
ported:
..At one time I seemed to see writh-
ing coil Of twisted golden rope whirl-
ing its way from the pit Of my stom-
pleting the circle back into the stomach
again. Every movement was repeated
with Incredible celerity. and the scenes
changed as regularly as the clock tick
ed. Having once seen vision II dis
appeared to be seen no more.
STEPPED Like Tea.
While the most approved form Of TAX
ing peyote b by chewing the cactus .ut-
ton, II Is also STEPPED and the tea
drunk. DR.. r. L. Russell. of the bureau.
described It as a lazy mans jag. be-
cause It takes all night 10 have'a real
good time by the peyote route
The Indians commence their sessions
by gathering around a fire in circle
and chewing button after button till
from eight to a dozen are swallowed.
depending on the strength, of the i'm
biber's stomach.
The button takes its name from the
Spanish word for caterpillar. because
of Cried fuzzy substance In the center
which looks like gray caterpillar
the -'mescal button 1t Is not to be
confused with the mescal bean from
which Mexicans make fermented
drink that Is guaranteed to eat a hole
IN an or0indry glass DOIIlC OVtInSnt-
The virtues, or vices, Of peyote were
first discovered about thirty years ago
by she Carrie Indians, now extinct.
Later two Texas drug firms took up
the business of supplying Indians on
atE est every large reservation Of the
country with the buttons.
In North Mexico.
The cactus grows most abundantly in
Northern Mexico, about forty miles
southwest Of Eagle Pass. Tex. but the
promoters. in order TO encourage the
belief In their inaccessibflity. called
them japanese buttons. TO convey the
impression that they were imported.
There a number of letters on file
with the Indian commissioner from
Indians who say the buttons are a
divine revelation that the Great Spirit
has denied the white man. Consequently
Government authorities and even the
Senate Is moving slowly about denying
the Indian his peyote.
The Indians say that the button is
a substitute for whisky" said DR.. Rus
sell but any drug that will satisfy a !
toper's desire for liquor Is strong |
enough to be dangerous, though peyote
does not seem to make the Indians |
vicious. The department, however, has
cfassed peyote as an intoxicant and for |
bIoden its traffic on Indian reserva-
TIC ms. though II is still handled surrep- |
Ixy