170 AUSTRALIAN NATIVE PLANTS. 
up in the shape of acigar. This is often chewed, and the saliva 
swallowed. In small quantities it has a powerful stimulating effect, 
assuaging hunger, and enabling long journeys to be made without 
fatigue, and with but little food. It is also used by the aboriginals 
to excite them before fighting. It is used to poison emus. 
Wills’ diary from Cooper’s Creek (p. 283) has the following, 
under date May 7th, 1861 :— 
“In the evening, various members of the tribe came down 
with lumps of nardoo and handfuls of fish, until we were positively 
unable to eat any more. They also gave us some stuff they call 
“bedgery”’ or “pedgery ;” it has a highly intoxicating effect when 
chewed even in small quantities. It appears to be the dried stems 
and leaves of some shrub.” 
“The pituri consists of leaves broken into small particles and 
mixed with acacia leaves, small dried berries containing reniform 
seeds, and unexpanded flower-buds of the shape of a minute 
caper.” (These surmises are, of course, not correct.) 
In March, 1872, Dr. Bancroft, of Brisbane, read a paper 
before the Queensland Philosophical Society on ‘‘ Pituri.” He 
obtained specimens from a Mr, Gilmour, who had procured them 
from the neighbourhood of the Kulloo water-hole, eight miles 
beyond Eyre’s Creek. He stated that the use of the pituri is con- 
fined to the men of a tribe called Mallutha, all the males of which 
are circumcised. The pituri caused a severe headache in Euro- 
peans who used it. 
Dr. Bancroft thus describes the effect of an infusion of 
pituri :— 
1. Period of preliminary excitement from apparent loss of 
inhibitory power of the cerebrum, attended with rapid 
respiration ; in cats and dogs, with vomiting and profuse 
secretion of saliva. 
. Irregular muscular action, followed by general convulsions. 
. Paralysis of respiratory function of medulla. 
Death, or 
. Sighing inspirations at long intervals. 
. Rapid respiration and returning consciousness. 
nu FW N 
