﻿Curl. 
  — 
  On 
  Pitnri, 
  a 
  new 
  Ve/jetahle 
  Product, 
  413 
  

  

  in 
  wliicli 
  the 
  Pituri 
  grows 
  are 
  really 
  aware 
  of 
  its 
  stimulating 
  power, 
  Those 
  

  

  living 
  near 
  the 
  Barcoo, 
  travel 
  many 
  days' 
  journey 
  to 
  obtain 
  this 
  to 
  them 
  

  

  precious 
  foliage, 
  which 
  is 
  carried 
  always 
  about 
  by 
  them 
  broken 
  into 
  small 
  

  

  fragments 
  and 
  tied 
  up 
  in 
  little 
  bags. 
  It 
  is 
  not 
  impossible 
  that 
  a 
  new 
  and 
  

  

  perhaps 
  important 
  medicinal 
  plant 
  is 
  thus 
  gained. 
  The 
  blacks 
  use 
  the 
  

  

  Dahoisia 
  to 
  excite 
  their 
  courage 
  in 
  warfare 
  ; 
  a 
  large 
  dose 
  infuriates 
  them. 
  

  

  " 
  (Signed) 
  Feed, 
  von 
  Mueller. 
  

   " 
  15th 
  February, 
  1877."* 
  

  

  Mr. 
  W. 
  0. 
  Hodgkinson, 
  writing 
  to 
  Dr. 
  Bancroft 
  on 
  February 
  15, 
  1877, 
  

  

  after 
  giving 
  a 
  description 
  of 
  the 
  localities 
  where 
  he 
  found 
  the 
  plant, 
  etc., 
  

  

  says 
  : 
  — 
  " 
  The 
  resident 
  natives 
  carry 
  on 
  a 
  considerable 
  traffic 
  in 
  this 
  plant, 
  

  

  representatives 
  of 
  tribes 
  from 
  other 
  quarters 
  coming 
  to 
  procure 
  it. 
  It 
  is 
  

  

  used, 
  after 
  being 
  sweated 
  beneath 
  a 
  coating 
  of 
  fine 
  sand, 
  as 
  a 
  narcotic 
  

  

  stimulant, 
  strictly 
  kept 
  for 
  the 
  solace 
  of 
  the 
  old 
  men, 
  or 
  for 
  occasions 
  when 
  

  

  long 
  privations 
  have 
  to 
  be 
  endured, 
  or 
  some 
  solemnity 
  performed. 
  ■•' 
  * 
  ■•' 
  

  

  * 
  * 
  When 
  used 
  on 
  the 
  march, 
  a 
  portion 
  is 
  put 
  into 
  the 
  mouth 
  chewed, 
  

   until 
  it 
  assumes 
  the 
  form 
  and 
  consistency 
  of 
  a 
  sailor's 
  quid, 
  passed 
  round 
  

   each 
  one 
  of 
  the 
  party, 
  the 
  saliva 
  promoted 
  by 
  its 
  use 
  being 
  swallowed. 
  * 
  

  

  * 
  >:= 
  =;< 
  -;= 
  Allien 
  with 
  Burke 
  and 
  Wills' 
  expedition, 
  subsequently 
  with 
  

   Mr. 
  John 
  McKinlay, 
  and 
  recently 
  in 
  the 
  North 
  West 
  Expedition, 
  I 
  used 
  

   Petchere, 
  or 
  Petury, 
  or 
  Pituri, 
  habitually 
  when 
  procurable, 
  in 
  default 
  of 
  

   tobacco, 
  and 
  have 
  very 
  often 
  chewed 
  it 
  both 
  in 
  its 
  raw 
  and 
  prepared 
  state." 
  

  

  Dr. 
  Bancroft 
  tried 
  experiments 
  upon 
  dogs, 
  cats, 
  rats, 
  and 
  frogs, 
  and 
  

   gives 
  the 
  results 
  of 
  its 
  effects 
  upon 
  them 
  : 
  — 
  

  

  " 
  1st. 
  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 
  ; 
  in 
  dogs 
  there 
  is 
  retraction 
  of 
  

   the 
  eye-ball. 
  

  

  " 
  2nd. 
  Irregular 
  muscular 
  action, 
  followed 
  by 
  general 
  convulsion. 
  

  

  " 
  3rd. 
  Paralysis 
  of 
  respiratory 
  function 
  of 
  medulla. 
  

  

  " 
  4th. 
  Death 
  ; 
  or 
  

  

  " 
  6th. 
  Sighing 
  inspirations 
  at 
  long 
  intervals. 
  

  

  " 
  6th. 
  Eapid 
  respiration, 
  and 
  returning 
  consciousness. 
  

  

  "7th. 
  Normal 
  respiration, 
  and 
  general 
  torpidity, 
  not 
  unattended 
  with 
  

   danger 
  to 
  life. 
  

  

  " 
  Death 
  is 
  caused 
  chiefly 
  as 
  in 
  tetanus, 
  by 
  excessive 
  contraction 
  of 
  the 
  

   respiratory 
  muscles 
  and 
  suffocation. 
  Pituri 
  does 
  not 
  dilate 
  the 
  pupil 
  when 
  

   applied 
  locally, 
  though 
  dilation 
  is 
  seen 
  to 
  some 
  extent. 
  When 
  given 
  by 
  

   subcutaneous 
  injection, 
  the 
  extreme 
  retraction 
  of 
  the 
  eye-ball 
  in 
  dogs 
  is 
  

   very 
  remarkable." 
  He 
  goes 
  on 
  to 
  say: 
  — 
  "In 
  small 
  medicinal 
  doses 
  we 
  

  

  * 
  This 
  was 
  in 
  a 
  letter 
  to 
  the 
  Editor 
  of 
  the 
  Australian 
  Medical 
  Journal. 
  

  

  