spices are employed medicinally as stimulants and car- 
minatives, but in excessive doses they can produce my- 
driasis and stupor (Youngken, H. W.: ‘*Textbook of 
pharmacognosy”’ ed. 5 (1943) 805 ff), and mace has been 
known to cause ‘‘alarming sensorial disturbances’’ (Wat- 
son, G.C. in Prov. Med. Surg. Journ. (Jan. 26, 1848) ). 
The toxic effects of Myristica fragrans are due appar- 
ently to a volatile oil, myristicine, which can act as a 
narcotic and which can cause a fatty degeneration of the 
liver (Finnemore, H.: ‘“The essential oils’’ (1926) 274; 
Guenther, EK.: ‘‘The essential oils’’ 5 (1952) 78). Ac- 
cording to Youngken (loc. cit.), nutmeg contains up to 
40% of a fixed oil and up to 10% of a volatile oil (4% 
of which is the narcotic principle myristicine). The whole 
family Myristicaceae is characterized by the presence of 
cells which contain a semi-fluid or crystalline oil, the color 
of which varies from yellow to red or even to a brownish 
black (Kraemer, H.: ‘‘Scientific and applied pharmacog- 
nosy’ (1915) 250). It would appear probable, then, that 
the violent narcotic properties of yd/ce-snuff may be due, 
in great part if not entirely, to myristicine. Pharmaco- 
logical studies which are at present under way will, it is 
hoped, clarify this interesting problem. 
In the Indian Archipelago and New Guinea, other spe- 
cies of Myristica yield nutmeg, but there seems to be no 
record of the purposeful use of this genus amongst native 
Asiatic peoples as the source of a narcotic. 
Vv. 
The preparation of ydkee-snuff* is relatively simple. 
I have observed the process several times with Puinave 
Indians and have also seen the powder prepared by Tu- 
> Because of the confusion which has grown up around the widely 
used term parica, which will be discussed fully below, I prefer to em- 
ploy the short, easily-pronounced and specific Puinave Indian name for 
the Virola-snuff. 
