species of Virola. In a footnote to a discussion of Pip- 
tadenia peregrina LL. he wrote (Ducke, A.: ‘‘As legu- 
minosas da Amazonia brasileira’ (1989) 41): 
Martius and other writers attribute to this species the source of the 
narcotic paricd employed by certain Amazonian Indians (the powder 
of the crushed seeds is inhaled through the nostrils), Notwithstanding, 
according to information which I obtained from the natives themselves 
in two localities in the upper Rio Negro, the paricd-powder comes from 
leaves of species of Virola of the Myristicaceae. 
So far as I have been able to ascertain, this is the first 
and only reference in the literature to the use of Virola 
in the preparation of a narcotic snuff. I have been un- 
able to substantiate the statement that the leaves are ever 
used; all of the many reports which I have gathered are 
in agreement and indicate that the bark is the portion of 
the plant employed in the preparation of the snuff. 
Ducke fails to make mention of the identification of pa- 
rica as Virola in the second edition of his ‘‘As legumi- 
nosas da Amazonia brasileira’? (Bol. Téen. Inst. Agron. 
Norte 18 (1949) ). 
LV. 
It would seem that /’7rola has not hitherto been re- 
ported as possessing strong narcotic properties. Never- 
theless, extremely toxic and narcotic principles have been 
found in other members of the Iyristicaceae. Perhaps 
the best known case is Myristica fragrans Houtt., which 
‘unites to the medicinal properties of the ordinary aro- 
matics considerable narcotic properties’; fatal and near- 
fatal consequences have attended its careless use in India 
(Wood, H.C., J. P. Remington and S. P. Sadtler: **“The 
Dispensatory of the United States of America” ed. 18 
(1899) 889). This thoroughly studied plant is the source 
of two spices of commerce: nutmeg and mace—the for- 
mer derived from the dried, ripe seed without its seed 
coat and arillode, the latter from the dried arillode. Both 
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