Tobacco, coca, parica and caapi are the narcotic plants 
that figure in their daily life as well as in therapeutic and 
magic rites (48, 47, 50, 51). 
The great cigar, made from rolled tobacco leaves cov- 
ered with leaves of maize, banana or other plants or with 
the soft inner bark of an unidentified annonaceous tree, 
is characteristic of the ‘Tukanos. Held in an artistically 
turned forked wooden support, this three-foot cigar is 
smoked in certain festival ceremonies. Its use is, how- 
ever, on the wane (51). 
Tobacco is also the basis of a snuff amongst these In- 
dians. ‘The leaves are dried and pulverized, and the re- 
sulting brown powder is mixed with an equal amount of 
ashes from any of a number of plants. The final snuff is 
greyish. Both sexes may partake of tobacco-snuff which 
is rather commonly used. It is kept in a case made from 
large land-snails with a tube or mouth fashioned from a 
bird bone. 
Banisteriopsis is taken by any male member, even 
though its use is essentially in magic. It is customarily 
employed during various dances which take place more 
frequently during the rainy season. Occasionally, treat- 
ment of disease or exorcism are practiced during caapi- 
dances. Caapi is perhaps best known as the strong nar- 
cotic given to enhance the bravery of Tukano boys about 
to undergo the violent physical ordeal connected with 
their initiation ceremony—the Yurupari Dance (47). 
The Tukanos likewise use a snuff prepared from the 
blood-red resin of certain species of the myristicaceous 
tree, Virola, especially V’. calophylla and V. calophyll- 
oidea. It is commonly known as pa-ree-kd amongst the 
Tukanos, though this is a Tupi-Guarani loan-word. The 
Puinaves call this intoxicating snuff ya-hee, the Kuripa- 
kos ya-to. It is prepared by boiling the resin for many 
hours and allowing it to sun-dry to a hard mass which is 
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