‘chim6’ refers to the use of this and other similar species by the local 
inhabitants with reference to the leaves’ being boiled with those of 
the tobacco plant to make tobacco juice, known in this area as 
‘chim6’’’. Steyermark’s collection gives the local name of Palicourea 
Chimé as ‘‘cafecito blanco’’. Of the other similar species he mentions 
two: Guettarda sabiceoides (“‘quina negra’’) and Cephaelis tinctoria 
(‘‘cafecito’’). All three of these were collected in the State of Lara 
néar Humocaro Bajo, and Steyermark’s information came from people 
of that region. He is careful to add (pers. comm.), ‘‘whatever else 
takes place before or after this (the boiling), I do not have any data 
as to other steps in the process. I[ actually did not watch the opera- 
tion but was merely told about it, and of course second hand informa- 
tion is never to be trusted’’. 
Assuming that his informants were correct in their identification 
and names, the question of whether these names and the use of the 
plants are widespread or are restricted to this area, still remains; that 
is, whether this use is or is not a significant factor in the making of 
chim6. It would be helpful also, to know why these leaves are added 
to the tobacco leaves. 
Recent studies of rubiaceous species indicate that the family does 
contain psychoactive substances. Schultes (57) cites the use in caapi 
of Psychotria by the Kofan Indians of Amazonian Ecuador. Der Mar- 
derosian et al. (23) describe the use of Psychotria spp. in a beverage, 
by the Cashinahua of the Amazon basin, and states that the psycho- 
tomimetic DMT has been found in the leaves of Psychotria spp. and 
isolated in crystal form from the beverage. This is the first reported 
occurrence of DMT in the Rubiaceae. 
Could chim6é with the addition of rubiaceous plants, reported by 
Steyermark, possibly have different effects than chimé made only of 
tobacco? 
Steyermark’s report is the more interesting because it is the only 
such information uncovered in my study of the preparation and use 
of chim6 and of tobacco concentrates in general. Accounts of the 
making of m6 all emphasize that only tobacco leaves are employed 
and in lists of additives used during the second step—the conversion 
of m6 to chim6é6—the common names of these rubiaceous plants do not 
appear. Confirmation of Steyermark’s reports and critical confirmation 
of the common names involved, and why the additives are used— 
these points need clarification. 
10. Spitting. Diaz (24) writes: ‘‘This vice is the dirtiest of tobacco 
use, the more so for the saliva, more abundant, blacker and greasy, 
that it produces’’, Whenever the general use of chim6 is described, 
the necessity of frequent expectoration (without a receptacle) is men- 
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