424 ANNUAL P.EPOET SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION, 1916. 



SUMMARY. 



1. The principal narcotic plants and stimulants of ancient America 

 were tobacco, cohoba, the red bean, peyotl, ololiuhqui, jimson weed, 

 huaca-cachii (a tree Datura), coca, aya-huasca, yerba-mate, cassine, 

 guarana, and cacao. Divine attributes were ascribed to them. They 

 were used in divination, in medicine, and in ceremonials, and in 

 many cases were carried by the Indians as safeguards or amulets 

 to insure success in warfare and the chase. 



2. Tobacco, the most important of these plants, is now extensively 

 cultivated in both hemispheres and its use is world wide. The jimson 

 weed {Datura sframoniu/m) is now important as a source of atropine, 

 and coca {Erythroxylon Coca) as the source of cocaine. The most 

 important stimulants are the yerba-mate {Ilex paraguariensis) the 

 leaves of which are known as Paragua}^ tea, and cacao {Theohroma 

 Cacao) ^ the seeds of which are made into chocolate and cocoa. 



3. Of less importance but of- possible medicinal value are peyotl 

 {Lophophoi^a Williamsii) identified as the " divine flesh " or teonana- 

 catl of the Mexicans, and the ololiuhqui {Datura meteloides) ^ still 

 extensively used by Indians of Mexico and the United States ; huaca- 

 cachu {Brugmansia sanguinea) of Peru; and aya-huasca {Banisteria 

 caMpi) of Brazil and Venezuela. Cassine {Ilex vomitorla) of the 

 southern United States, which has the same properties as its Para- 

 guayan congener, may prove to be valuable as a refreshing tea, and 

 guarana {PaulUnia cupana) as the source of a drink resembling 

 chocolate. The red bean, or frijolillo, of Texas {B7'ousso7ietia se- 

 cundifora)^ though possessing a narcotic alkaloid, is not used com- 

 mercially and its use among our Indians is now very limited. Cohoba 

 {Piptadenia peregHna) , the seeds of which were used by the aborigi- 

 nal Haitians and are still used by many Indians of the tributaries 

 of the great rivers of South America as the source of a narcotic 

 snuff, remains chemically unknown, though known and reported by 

 the companions of Columbus. 



4. In view of the shortage of medicinal alkaloids resulting from 

 the present war it is suggested that iuA^estigations be made to deter- 

 mine the nature of the properties of these less-known narcotics, 

 with a view to their utilization as substitutes for others now recog- 

 nized in the standard pharmacopceias. 



