446
SUPPOSED REMEDIES.
the A m a z o n , Guallaga, and Brazil, can be p r o c u r e d , w i t h o u t b e i n g c o n f o u n d e d t o g e t h e r , f r o m the places where they are prepared. Since the discovery o f prussic acid,* and m a n y o t h e r n e w substances eminently deleterious, the i n t r o d u c t i o n o f poisons prepared b y savage nations is less feared in E u r o p e ; w e c a n n o t h o w e v e r appeal t o o s t r o n g l y t o the vigilance o f those who keep such n o x i o u s substances in the m i d s t o f p o p u l o u s cities, the centres o f civilization, misery, and depravity. O u r botanical k n o w l e d g e o f the plants e m p l o y e d in making poison can be b u t very slowly acquired. M o s t o f the I n d i a n s w h o make p o i s o n e d arrows, are totally i g n o r a n t o f the nature o f the v e n o m o u s substances they use, and which they obtain from other p e o p l e . A m y s t e r i o u s veil everywhere covers the history o f poisons and o f their antid o t e s . Their preparation a m o n g savages is the m o n o p o l y o f t h e piaches, w h o are at o n c e priests, j u g g l e r s , and physic i a n s ; it is only from the natives w h o are transplanted to t h e missions, that any certain n o t i o n s can b e acquired on matters so problematical. A g e s elapsed before E u r o p e a n s b e c a m e acquainted through the investigation o f M . M u t i s , with the bejuco del guaco ( M i k a n i a g u a c o ) , which is the m o s t powerful o f all antidotes against the bite o f serpents, and of which w e were fortunate e n o u g h to give the first botanical description. T h e opinion is very general in the missions that no c u r e is possible, if the curare be fresh, well c o n c e n t r a t e d , and have staid l o n g in the w o u n d , t o have e n t e r e d freely into the circulation. A m o n g the specifics e m p l o y e d o n the banks o f the O r i n o c o , and in the I n d i a n A r c h i p e l a g o , the m o s t celebrated is muriate o f soda.†T h e w o u n d is r u b b e d * First obtained by Scheele in the year 1782. Gay-Lussac (to whom we are indebted for the complete analysis of this acid) observes, that it can never become very dangerous to society, because its peculiar smell (that of bitter almonds) betrays its presence, and the facility with which it is decomposed makes it difficult to preserve. †Oviedo (Sommario delle Indie Orientali) recommends sea-water as an antidote against vegetable poisons. The people in the missions never fail to assure European travellers, that they have no more to fear from arrows dipped in curare, if they have a little salt in their mouths, than from the electric shocks of the gymnoti, when chewing tobacco. Raleigh recommends as an antidote to the ourari (curare) the juice of garlick. [But later experiments have completely proved that if the poison has once fairly