influenced the evolution of chimé from a semi-liquid to a paste. 
Acosta Saignes (1) in his account of the Timoto-Cuica civilization, 
says that these people took chim6é and that they employed urao in its 
preparation. 
There is a generally accepted version of how urao and chimo were 
first associated, which contradicts Acosta Saignes’ statement. Diaz 
(24) is one of several writers who advance this theory: ““Although 
the indigenes used m6 and chim6 before the Conquest, they did not 
mix it with wrao until 1781, when the Spanish chemist Pedro Veras- 
tegui showed them how to make it with this; for which reason, when 
the Spanish established the monopoly (estanco) on tobacco, the urao 
was also included in the monopoly.”’ 
Patifio (48) comments in one of the very few descriptions of chimé 
that I have been able to find: although Verdastegui is given credit for 
first introducing the use of wrao in the making of chimé, ‘‘from the 
very instructions left by him, it can be deduced that mohoo or chim6é 
or call it what you will, was something known and common—imply- 
ing that he only emphasized details of a procedure already followed.’’ 
The use of urao is at present an integral part of descriptions of 
chimoé. Urao, reduced to powder, is added to chim6 in varying quan- 
tities, as an alternative to the use of cernada. Chimé6-users assert that 
it results in a ‘‘smoother’’ product with a salty taste. Chimé made 
in Mérida is cited as an example of this type of chimé. Bicarbonate 
of soda is sometimes substituted for urao and is added in the same way. 
4. Types of chim6. Dupouy (27) describes chim6 of various types. 
If it is strong and biting, it is bravo or fierce; if mellow, it is manso 
or tame. The latter is du/ce or sweet and is less irritating and less 
toxic than the bravo, because it contains more mellowing ingredients. 
Only the most habitual users (buenos comedores) use chimé of the most 
bravo type. 
The toxie effect of chim6 is very marked on individuals not accus- 
tomed to the narcotic. 
In a laboratory experiment with chimé at Harvard University in 
1968, a graduate student, a non-smoker, placed an amount of chim6é 
**the size of an eraser on a new pencil’’ on the back of his lower front 
teeth. He reports: *‘At first, it was cold and tarry like licorice. When 
it warmed up, I began to feel a biting sensation. . . prickly instead 
of hot like chili pepper. The sensation increased. . . until an area 
about the size of a penny on the under side of my tongue became 
numb. At the same time, I began to feel light-headed, as though I 
had taken several strong drinks on an empty stomach or had inhaled 
several puffs from a strong cigar. That effect lasted for about 15 
minutes, after which my sense of balance and presence of mind re- 
turned to normal. During that time, I felt slightly unstable while 
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