I had quite a hangover the next morning, although I was fairly 
clear in the head, and wanted to take part in a previously planned 
excursion. At breakfast, with Prof. Lars Brundin, Stockholm, 
Docent Kuno Thomasson, Uppsala (born in Estonia), Dr. Heinz 
Loffler, Vienna, and a few Chileans among others in attendance, 
I suddenly spoke to those present in a completely unknown lan- 
guage without looking at anyone present. Unfortunately, I re- 
member nothing from this conversation, nor with whom I thought 
I spoke. Possibly it was one of the last of the Araucarian hechi- 
ceros who finally had found a chap to talk with. What I remember 
is that I suddenly jumped out of my chair, thinking that someone 
wanted to beat me. It was my own hand which hung on the back 
of the chair which frightened me. I was unable to read a message 
on a piece of paper I had received before breakfast. 
During the day-long excursion, I was periodically fairly clear, 
periodically drowsy. During these latter periods, I saw the forest 
around the road as some kind of Russian boyar-ballet in heavy 
costumes. Oddly enough, green was the dominant colour. 
In the afternoon I felt fairly well restored, though my working 
capacity was less than usual. I still could not read. 
Jan. 4, 1954.—Smith and I proceded on our trip at a normal 
pace, though in the morning I still could not read. In the evening, 
I wrote notes in my journal, but I had difficulties in keeping to 
the lines. 
Jan. 5, 1954.—Completely normal sight. Normal condition. 
This account as well as the Spanish names for Latua 
—‘‘palo de bruja”’ and ‘‘arbol de los brujos’’—suggest 
that the plant plays a role in magic and shamanism. AI|- 
though we now know that this is true, the role has never 
been described in any detail. In 1892, Reed first wrote 
that Latuwa was ‘‘much used by curanderos to produce 
convulsions and insanity’’. Gusinde (1936) mentioned 
that the plant was employed by the machi or shaman for 
its poisonous qualities. Since Latua is intimately asso- 
ciated with certain magical and religious practices of the 
indigenous Chileans, it is important to understand the 
relationship between these people and their magical 
plants, and especially the role of the machi. 
The inhabitants of southern Chile belong to several 
groups, all of which are now referred to as Mapuche or 
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