The Natural Fiflory of Jamaica. 149 
oe. ae 
Seamen ufed to carry Pipes about them made of Palm Leaves, in which 
they fmoaked to eafe their wearinefS, bringing forth much Phiegm: Ic 
takes away Hunger and Thirft, Lob. 
After the Indians have gathered it, and hang’d it up by {mall handfuls, and 
dry’d it intheir Houfes, they take four or five Leaves, and wrapthem upina 
great Leaf of a Tree, like a Paper made like a Funnel ia which Spices are 
put, and put fire to the end, and draw it into their Mouths, which although 
the Smoak comes out again, yet by it they fubfift three or four days. When 
they go to War, or deliberate on it, they {moak and fpeak, if they take 
too much of it, it inebriates as Wine, and occafions great difturbance in 
thofe who take it. Thevet. 
It is a Counter-Poyfon. <Acoffa. 
It is ufed in Leaves rolled up and fmoak’d, they, who take it, lye fenfe- 
lef and ftupefied moft part of the day and night. Others take more mode- 
rately, having a Vertigo. I was forced out of the Houtes by Smoak. 
Priefts and Phyficians are the fame in all placeswhere Iwas. They Smoak, 
and lie ftupefied. 
‘Tis very likely the Powder mentioned by Fernan Colon. p. 125. to be 
fack’d from the Statue of Cemi, was this, for with it the Zndians went out 
of their Senfes like drunken Men, and likewife *tis the Cogioba of Roman 
there. p. 132. and Cohoba, with which drawn by the Nofe in Powder, the 
Bohitis are out of their Senfes, and pretend Revelations. p.144. They give 
likewife the Powder to purge the difeafed with. 4. It makes them fee 
People and Houfes topfie turvvy. p. 138. 
It was in Juice ufed againft poyfoned Arrows, in place of Sublimat at 
Porto Rico. Lugd. and for Wounds and Ulcers in Cattle, and was eaten to 
prevent the Gout. id. 
It is very vulnerary Oviedo. 
Upon the whole matter ‘tis moft certain, not only by the Eye Witneffes 
abovementioned, but many others, that Tobacco is a Plant of very ex- 
traordinary Vertues, not only for ill natur’d Ulcers, but even poyfon’d 
Wounds. That chawed, fnuf’d or {moak’d, tis good for Catarrhs, Head- 
aches, Rheums, Defluxions, the Gout, Afthma, cc. “Tis likewife very 
ceitain that the Priefts or Phyfitians made ule of this to intoxicate them- 
felves withal, and afterwards to abufe the People, by telling them what 
they faw, or pretended to fee, or forefeé in {uch Extafies, would be the 
event of Wars, ec. From this Narcotick quality it is, that thofe who ufe 
it improperly, or in excefs, turn yellowifh, fall into Obfiructions, and 
(user almoft the fame Accidents as Perfons that drink exceffively of fer- 
mented Liquors, or take Opium in too great a quantity. From this Nar- 
cotick quality it is alfo not unlikely that it takes off the fenfe of Hun- 
ger, thereby calming the Mind, whereby ‘tis hindered from fretting the 
Body. 
Wl. Gentianella flore ceruleo, integro vafculo feminali ex humidi contain im- 
patiente, Cat. p. 52. Tab. 93. Fig. 1. Gentianella utriu{que India impatiens 
foliis agerati, Pluken. Phyt. Tab. 186. Fig.2. Alm, p.167. Spirit-Leaf. 
This has feveral brown, round, ftraight, an Inch and an half long Roots, 
almoft finger’d like thofe of the Oenanthe’s. From thefe rife two or three 
Stalks, four or five Inches high, at about one Inches diftance jointed, and four 
{quare, and at the joints come out the Leaves. They are fomething like thofe 
of Mercurialis, of a dark blewifh green colour. Ex alis feliorum, come the 
Flowers. They are large, monopetalous, like thofe of the Convolvuuli, Bell 
fafhion’d, and of a delicate blew colour, after which {ucceeds a four fquare, 
brown, Inch long Seed Veflel; containing a great many flat, brown Seeds. 
: : = Qg 7 When 
