been associated with origin myths, mysticism, rain and fecun- 
dity, the moon, magic and, especially, with intoxication from 
hallucinogenic agents (Wasson, 1980). This significance of the 
toad-frog motif has been emphasized by Furst (Furst, 1974, 
1976) who succinctly states: “. . . there is clearly much more than 
only the ‘obvious’ connection with rain to account for the impor- 
tance of the toad-frog motif in the indigenous symbolic system 
aa Purse, 1979). 
Hallucinogenic constituents found in plants employed for 
their psychoactive properties have been isolated from frogs and 
toads. The alkaloid bufotenine, known from the leguminous tree 
Anadenanthera peregrina from which a highly psychoactive 
snuff is prepared in South America (Holmstedt and Lindgren, 
1967), is present in the skin glands of Bufo marinus and other 
amphibians (Schultes and Holmstedt, 1968). The related and 
more potent hallucinogen, 5-methoxy-N, N-dimethyltryptamine, 
one of the active components of the snuff prepared in South 
America from several species of Virola trees (Schultes and 
Holmstedt, 1968), has recently been found in the North Ameri- 
can desert toad, Bufo alvarius (Furst, 1974). Extremely toxic 
substances occur in the skin of some species of Phyllobates and 
Dendrobates, colourful amphibians of northwesternmost South 
America in the general region where the gold pectorals are found 
in greatest concentration. The venoms of some South American 
frogs and toads are employed in magical contexts, sometimes 
producing even ecstatic or hallucinogenic states. It was the 
Swedish anthropologist S. Henry Wassen who, many years ago, 
reviewed the literature and concluded “. . . that the ubiquitous 
frog/toad motif in South American mythology and art, includ- 
ing the great number of effigies of cast gold from prehispanic 
Colombia and Panama, was inseparable from the practical use 
of frog venom for blowgun dart poison (which in any event had 
a magical component) and from the widespread magico- 
religious beliefs and practices involving the toxins of different 
species of these amphibians” (Wassén, 1934). Frog poison— 
probably from a species of Phyllobates or Dendrobates—is used 
by hunters among the Amahuaca Indians of Amazonian Peru 
for inducing hallucinations: the poison Is rubbed on self-inflicted 
cuts, inducing a violent illness, characterized by vomiting, diar- 
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