Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-03-27

will be obtained of each plant-one for
the Smithsonian collection, one for the
Field Museum of Natural History OF
Chicago and one for the Gray Her
barium at Harvard. There recently has
been a great revival of interest In some
of the plants of this region because OF
their potency as drugs, but before any
extensive use can be made OF them II
is necessary to secure an absolute DO
tanical identification.
This is a land of potent vegetable
poisons. There is one plant poison
which for centuries has been used by
Indians to poison fish. A small guam
tity placed in a stream is reputed to
paralyZe the fish and result in big
catches. Recently it has been found
that this poison has great value as an
insecticide and the Department OF
Agriculture is anxious to get scien-
tific description of the plant as it ac-
tually grows.
Here also is the deadly curare, with
which the jungle Indians tip their
arrowheads and the slightest trace OF
which, getting into the blood stream. Is
supposed to cause death. This Is a
popular poison for writer's OF detective
stories, but, according to Killlp. very
little is really known about 1t. He Will
keep his eyes open for the plant from
which curare Is derived.
Another almost legendary plant re-
puted in this region is known variously
as dead mans vine. caapi, aya-huasca
and elixir of courage. 1t is perhaps the
most mystical of all the jungle growths.
It is supposedly derived from the BIOS
som stems of jungle vine and re-
Gently has been the subject of some
studies at Columbia University.
Effect of Small Quantity.
An early Spanish explorer. who ex-
perimented with it, reported that as
soon as he had swallowed small guam
tity his head began to swim and he
felt deathly sick for moment. Then
his head seemed to clear up and he
had the blissful hallucination of sailing
through the air over a pleasant coun-
;ryside with farms, churches, villages
and great cities spread in a beautiful
panorama below him. This hallucina-
ton ended suddenly and he supposedly
found himself in the midst OF forest
baset by jungle beasts. He fought des-
perately to save himself-and then
came TO his senses, deathly sick.
The dead mans vine Is used by the
Indians as an elixir of courage, and Is
administered to warriors before battle.
Used in the proper quantities It's erect
is said to be to remove entirely the fear
ID death, to endow the fighter with
reckless bravery, and to leave no bad
after effects, seemingly having the ef-
feet of splitting the personality. 1t has
been used extensively in the incanta-
lions of the savage medicine men.
Another Indian plant drug from the
same region recently was reported from
Berlin as a potent remedy for influenza.
but scientists in Washington, largely
because Of the pauci1y of the collection,
have been unable to identify it.
The jungle Indians, among whom
Killip and his companions are going,
have lived their own lives, cut off from
the rest of the world for many genera
tions, and, while quite primitive, have
learned much about the use of the indi-
genous vegetation - particularly the
medicinal value of various plants. Their
stories of such values are expected to
furnish clues for researches undertaken
in this Country.
The country also is supposed to
abound in food plants and Ornamentals.
1t may be the home of the original an
cestor of the cultivated potato, which
never has been identified. The potato
already had spread far from its place OF
origin and become domestic plant
long before the coming of the white
man. A great variety of wild rela-
tiyes are reported in this territory.