why the resin of Virola theiodora is also employed as an arrow 
poison. As has been pointed out by Gottlieb (1979) and as is 
evident from Table 1, there exist appreciable differences in the 
base composition of different parts of a single plant (Agurell et 
al., 1969); this is true also of different species and even in analyses 
of different specimens representing the same species. When 
examining the data of Table | with respect to use, it must be kept 
in mind that the preparation of snuffs, pellets and arrow poison 
involves concentration of the resinous bark exudate to a thick 
syrup which is subsequently dried, powdered or rolled into pellets 
which are then coated with the residue of leachings from ashes. 
Such treatment, not to speak of storage, would be expected to 
alter the original base composition. 
The hallucinogenic myristicaceous snuffs of the South Ameri- 
can Indians owe their biological activity to the simple methylated 
indoles mentioned above (Holmstedt and Lindgren 1967; Agurell 
et al. 1969). Bufotenine, a component of the snuff made from 
Anadenanthera peregrina (Chagnon et al. 1971) is not present in 
the species of Virola investigated; neither is it present in the snuff 
made from them. 
When analyzing Indian snuffs in 1967, Holmstedt and 
Lindgren noted the presence of harmala alkaloids in several 
preparations of uncertain botanical origin. In one case, both the 
simple indoles and harmine were present in the same preparation. 
This observation led to the following conclusion: 
“In South American botany, B-carbolines (harmine, harmaline 
and tetrahydroharmine) are usually associated with the species of 
Banisteriopsis, wherefore it is very likely that this is their origin in 
the snuffs. Very likely this is an admixture to the snuff, although 
definite botanical proof for it is lacking at the moment. To the 
knowledge of the authors, simple indoles and B-carbolines have 
not yet been isolated from the same plant. 
“The occurrence of both tryptamines and £-carbolines in the 
South American snuffs is pharmacologically interesting. The B- 
carbolines such as harmine and harmaline (Fig. 1) are mono- 
amineoxidase inhibitors (Udenfriend et al. 1958) and could 
potentiate the action of the simple indoles. The combination of 
B-carbolines and tryptamines would thus be advantageous. 
at 
