188 OPHIDIANS. . 
out of the room, and I overheard him ask the wife “if she 
was sure that I had the right plate of soup set before me ?” 
“Of course she had;” so he returned and invited me to take 
a half hour in the hammock, which invitation I accepted, and 
while I appeared to sleep, the “study of symptoms” rather 
inclined to my side of the question. Severe colicky pains 
were soon present and caused so much alarm, that I was called 
to the side of the old man’s couch to hear him say, “ For the 
love of God, what is the matter with me?” TI replied, 
“ Nothing, of course, unless the plate of soup he intended for 
me had something in it, otherwise if anything had been put in 
it he ought to know what it was, for I had changed the plates 
while his back was turned, and he had eaten all the soup in- 
tended for me.” J advised him “to take something ” without 
delay, and left the house, sending back to him a brother 
Curer, and after two days he was out of danger. J was soon 
thereafter admitted to the “secrets of the brotherhood,” and 
thus obtained their secrets, which I was only to divulge for a 
handsome remuneration. These are the “secret methods of 
cure” which are published in continuation. 
SUBSTANCES USED AS ANTIDOTES BY THE CURERS. 
No. 1. La Jenerala,—a climbing plant. 
La Capitana cascabel,—a climbing plant. 
La Capitana chifladora,—a climbing plant. 
La Cruceta de garfio,—leaves of a tree. 
La Cruceta palo de yuea. 
The fangs (pulverized) of the most poisonous snakes, 
together with the bones of the same snake’s head, 
all well mixed together and added to the “ Liga” 
(see page 190). 
7. Guaco de hoja peluda,—smooth-leaved guaco. 
8. Guaco morado liso,—smooth brown-leayed guaco. 
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