strength.’* It reputedly makes a sound “‘like rain in the ears” 
(Tina, 1969). A Witoto Indian living at Puca Urquillo on the Rio 
Ampiyaco (Peru) informed me that chiric sanango is taken to 
gain strength at the new moon. The bark is scraped and mixed 
with cold water to prepare the beverage. 
The Jivaro of Amazonian Ecuador and Peru are famous for 
their ritual use of Banisteriopsis Caapi, which they call 
natemd, to achieve trance-like states (Harner, 1968). A Cana- 
dian businessman, D. C. Webster, reported in a letter to R. E. 
Schultes the use of three plants in the preparation of the 
natema drink among the Jivaro, along with photographs of the 
plants. Besides natema (Banisteriopsis), they included 
chiricaspi (Brunfelsia grandiflora) and an unidentified liana 
called hiaji. To prepare the drink, the natemd is cut up into 
small pieces and boiled for at least 14 hours. Then the second 
two ingredients, also cut up, are added and the mixture boiled 
down to form a thick, muddy liquid (Webster, 1970). 
The supposed effects of this natema mixture, in addition to 
strong visual hallucinations, include the “melting away of dis- 
ease’’ with beneficial effects against arthritis, intestinal para- 
sites, tuberculosis, and poor vision. This is a good example of 
shamanistic healing methods, in which a strong hallucinogen 
provides the necessary spiritual contact with the forces of 
illness, while other potent herbal admixtures give specific 
therapeutic effects. In this preparation of natemd, the antiar- 
thritic effects may be attributable to the addition of Brunfelsia. 
Brunfelsia is known to play a part in shamanistic practices in 
still other tribes. Shamans often invoke the aid of a particular 
spirit helper in their healing ceremonies, which may take the 
form of a bird, snake, insect or plant. Shamans of the Lama 
tribe, who inhabit the region just west of Tarapoto in northern 
Peru, consider B. grandiflora a spiritual guide (Steward, 
1948). Steward writes in the Handbook of South American 
Indians: 
‘**The neophyte sorcerer dieted and took tobacco juice, cigars, 
avahuasca, and uniquely, Brunfelsia grandiflora and another 
liana. He acquired a general power from these plants but no 
internal ‘‘thorns’’. To cause illness, he impregnated a splinter 
with his power and cast it at his victim. To cure it, a shaman 
sucked out the splinter.’ (Steward & Metraux, 1948). 
303 
