PITUEL 
PAPER REAP BEFORE THE QUEENSLAND PHILOSOPHICAL SOCIETY, OCTOBER 25, 1877. 
This is the substance chewed by the natives of some parts of 
Central Australia as a stimulating narcotic. It is mentioned in 
writings of Australian explorers, and is spelt “bedgery,” 
“pedgery,” “picherie,” “ pecherie,” “pitury,” and otherwise. 
Until recently the broken leaves of the pituri could not be 
identified with those of any known plant, and many hours have 
I spent in comparing them with the flora of the neighbourhood 
of Brisbane. Sometimes I thought I had found the plant, but 
on experimenting with the extract of the leaves, none of the 
peculiar phenomena of the pituri were noticed. All the little 
seed-like particles that possibly could be found amongst the 
samples of pituri to hand, were carefully collected and sown 
in warm frames by favour of the Acclimatisation Society, but to 
no purpose. Vainly have I asked numerous travellers into the 
western country to obtain seeds for me, but up to the present 
time none are forthcoming. One step, however, has been gained 
of some importance. It came to my knowledge in February 
last that Mr. W. O. Hodgkinson had recently arrived from 
exploring the north-west border, and had brought with him some 
pituri. I forthwith paid this gentleman a visit and found that 
he had gathered some tops of the pituri bush with his own 
hands. These specimens Mr. Hodgkinson kindly placed at my 
service. To make quite sure of the nature of the plant, I tried 
an infusion of it by subcutaneous injection as in my former 
experiments, this giving the usual physiological action of pituri. 
I gave some leaves to Mr. Bailey, the botanist, for transmission 
to Baron von Mueller, of Melbourne, to which the learned 
Baron gave the following reply : — 
13-2-77. 
I am glad, dear Mr. Bailey, that at last the doubts concerning 
the origin of the Pituri poison seem solved. The specimens procured 
by Dr. Bancroft’s efforts, though without flowers and fruits, appear 
