BOOK III. CHAP. Vlir. 779 



this intention with the freOi leaves of tobacco pounded. Several 

 BCcidents having happened to Negroes newly-come to the ifland, 

 who have ate of the root roafted without exprefling the juice, I 

 iliall mention what remedies have been propofed. 



The fymptoms, confequeiitial to fwallowing the poifon, are, firft, 

 a pain and fickncfs at the ftomach, a tenfion and fwelling of the 

 whole abdomen ; then violent vomiting and purging, giddinefs of 

 the head, a cold fenfation and fliivering, dimnefs of fight, fwoonings, 

 and death, in a few hours, if no relief is given. 



The exprefled juice is very fweet to the tafle. It foon putrefies, 

 and breeds worms, called by the Indians topura, which undoubtedly 

 draw their nourid-iment from thofe particles that are fo baneful to 

 mankind; and, when dried and pulverized, they have formerly been 

 applied to the molt mifchievous purpofes by the Indians and Ne- 

 groes ; who, having conveyed fome of this powder under their 

 thumb-nail, prefented a cup, or other veflel, of drink to the perfon 

 they intended deftroying ; contriving, at the fame time, to fufpcnd 

 the tip of their thumb in the liquor, in order to impregnate it ; for 

 which reafon, whenever a Negroe was feen to let the nail of his 

 thumb grow to an extraordinary length, he was always fufpefted of 

 having Ibme bad defign of this fort in agitation. The common re- 

 medy in Brafil is, firft, to adminifter a vomit of ipecachuana ; and 

 then the juice, or powder, of nhambu. The nhambu is a plant, 

 defcribed by Pifo, p. 228, and 310. It has a fibrous root, from which 

 rifes a moderately thick, hard ftalk, knotty, rough, and hairy ; fo 

 are the branches. The leaf is broad, green, and fucculent, largely 

 indented, or divided. From between the leaves come the flowers, 

 on a long foot-ftalk, which are fingle and monopetalous. Then 

 follows the fruit, round, about the fize of a fmall cherry, covered 

 over with a chefnut-like, rough coat, in (hape like that of the rici- 

 71US, and containing flat, oval feeds, of a fliining, yellowifh, brown 

 colour. Every part of this plant has a hot, fpicy, pungent tafle, 

 w ith an aromatic flavour. The bark, leaves, and fruit, are the parts 

 generally ufed. 



Bluet, in his account of Guiney, mentions, that a cow, having 

 drank a hearty draught of the juice, went and fed on a (hrub which 

 grows common in Africa, cdWedi fejijitive phnt, and received not the 

 lead hurt. 



5G 2 It 



