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NARCOTICS AND STIMULANTS 435
leurs maladies, consiste a appeler certains enchan-
teurs, qu'ils s'imaginent avoir re^u un pouvoir
ces charlatans vont trouver
particulier de les guerir ;
les malades, recitent sur eux quelque priere superstitieuse,
leur promettent de jeuner pour leur
guerison, et de prendre un certain nombre de fois
du tabac en fumee ou bien, ce qui est une
par jour ;
insigne faveur, ils sucent la partie mal affectee,
apres quoi ils se retirent, a condition qu'on leur
"
liberalement ces sortes de services
payera
viii.
(tome
p. 83). And at p. 339 of the same volume,
speaking of the enchanters of the Chiquitos,
said :
it is
" Le medecin suce ensuite la partie mal
affectee, et au bout de quelque temps il jette par la
bouche une matiere noire : Voila, dit-il, le venin
que j'ai tire de votre corps."
It is not necessary to be a paye to "suck out a
pain. Among the Barres it is commonly practised,
and I have seen a fellow hang on to his comrade's
shoulder for half an hour together, "sucking out
the rheumatism." But as they know the whites
ridicule the practice, they avoid as much as possible
being surprised in it. Formerly they had professional
chupadores or suckers ; but in my time
there were none such, besides the payes, who were
found only among the unchristianised tribes.
2. Tobacco.- -This was possibly the first narcotic
ever used in South America, and is likely to be the
last. In one form or another it is a prime in-
gredient in the medicine of the payes. Rochefort
"
: says Each Boye has his familiar demon, whom
the smoke
he evoques by a chant, accompanied by
of tobacco, whose perfume is supposed to be
attractive to devils" (loc. cit.
p. 473). And it is