NARCOTICS AND STIMULANTS 455 



ridiculous certainly less dangerous to the patient- 

 than those of the Sangrados, Purgons, Macrotons, 

 etc., portrayed by Lesage and Moliere. If, to 

 procure for himself fleeting sensual pleasures, the 

 poor Indian's "untutored mind' leads him to 

 sometimes partake of substances which are either 

 hurtful in themselves or become so when indulged 

 in to excess, examples of similar hallucination are 

 not wanting even among peoples that boast of their 

 high degree of civilisation. 



This does not profess to be a treatise on all 

 known South American narcotics, or I should have 

 to speak of a vast number more, such as (for instance) 

 the numerous plants used for stupefying fish. Some 

 of these, but especially the Timbo-ac/i (Paullinia 

 pinnata), are said to be also ingredients in the slow 

 poisoning which some Amazonian nations are 

 accused of practising ; and on the Pacific side of 

 the Andes the same is affirmed of the Yuca-raton, 

 which is the thick soft white root of a Leguminous 

 tree (Gliricidia sp.) frequent in the plain of Guaya- 

 quil. The Curare also would require a chapter to 

 itself, and must be reserved for another occasion. 



