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LXTTT. Obfervations refpcding the Aya-Vana. 'Bead in the 

 Clafs of the Phyftcal Sciences of the French National Injti- 

 tute on the l^th of Fruclidor, Year 10. By C. Ven- 



TENAT. 



s 



EVERAL of the journals have lately made menti n of 

 the aya-pana. They have faid that this plant was origin Uy 

 a native of Brazil ; that it is cultivated with fmcefs in the 

 Ifle de France ; that it poflfeflfes great virtues, and may be 

 confidered as an u n't venal panacea. I hope, therefore, that 

 the clafs, and particularly phvficians, will be gratified with a 

 more complete account of this vegetable, the difcoverv of 

 which is a valuable acquisition to natural hifiory, it the vir- 

 tues afcribed to it are not exaggerated. 



About eight months ago one of mv nephews, being about 

 to leave the Ifle of France, begged citizen Michaud to point 

 out to him fuch plants cultivated in the garden of the ftate 

 as he thought likely to be an acceptable prefent to me. Our 

 friend mentioned to him the rareft articles : he even was fo 

 kind as to procure them, and did not forget the famous plant 

 of Brazil. The information which my nephew obtained re- 

 fpecling this plant, being perfectly agreeable to that which 

 has beenfince tranfmitted to madame Bonaparte as well as to 

 C. Juffieu, 1 flatter myfelf that I am able to give the clafs an 

 accurate account in regard to every thing that concerns the 

 native country of the aya-pana; the properties afcribed to it; 

 and, in particular, its botanical characters. 



The aya-pana grows in South America on the right bank 

 of the river of the Amazons. The inhabitants of that coun- 

 try have long confidered it as an excellent fudorific, am. a 

 powerful alcxipharmtc or antidote againft the bite of ferpents 

 and the wounds made by poifoned arrows. Its virtues are 

 equally extolled throughout all Brazil, where it is carefully 

 cultivated, and where it is diftinguifhed by the name of the 

 miraculous plant. 



In the 7th year of the French republic captain Auguftine 

 Baudin, brother of captain Baudin fo well known to natu- 

 ralitfs who is now on a voyage to the South Seas, being at 

 Brazil, and having heard of he aya-pana, confidered at7irft 

 as fabulous, or at leafl exaggerated, every thing told him re- 

 fpeCting the virtues of this plant. But the relation of feveral 

 cures performed by it during his ftay in that country, con- 

 firmed by the tefiimony of perfons worthy of credit, and par- 

 ticularly by that of Dr. Camara, a celebrated botanift and 

 able phyfician, who was formerly a pupil of Juflieu, entirely 

 removed his doubts. 



5 Convinced 



