ANHALONIUM LEWINII 
(MESCAL BUTTONS). 
A STUDY OF THE DRUG, WITH ESPECIAL REFERENCE TO 
ITS PHYSIOLOGICAL ACTION UPON MAN, WITH 
REPORT OF EXPERIMENTS. 
BY 
D. W. PRENTISS, A.M., M.D., 
Professor of Materia Medica and Therapeutics, 
AND 
FRANCIS P. MORGAN, A.B., M.D., 
Assistant to the Chair of Materia Medica and Therapeutics, Medical Department 
of Columbian University, Washington, D. C. 
REPRINTED FROM THE THERAPEUTIC GAZETTE, SEPTEMBER ib, i8qs. 
DETROIT, MICH. : 
GEORGE S. DAVIS, PUBLISHER. 
1895. ANHALONIUM LEWINII (MESCAL 
BUTTONS). 
A STUDY OF THE DRUG, WITH ESPECIAL REFER- 
ENCE TO ITS PHYSIOLOGICAL ACTION 
UPON MAN, WITH REPORT OF 
EXPERIMENTS. 
THE attention of the medical world was first 
directed to the Anhalonium Lewinii by 
Lewin and Henning,* who, in 1888, published 
the results of their observations upon the drug. 
Since that time Lewin has made the drug the 
subject of further study. But, besides this and 
some discussion as to the place in botanical 
classification which the Anhalonium Lewinii 
should occupy, little attention has been given 
to the drug by investigators, owing, in all 
probability, to the difficulty with which speci- 
mens are obtained. 
In the autumn of 1894 the United States 
Bureau of Ethnology received, through Mr. 
James Mooney, agent among the Indians, an 
abundant supply of the mescal buttons. The 
investigation of its physiological effects having 
been intrusted to the present writers, we have 
embodied the results of our observations in this 
paper. 
* Therapeutic Gazette, 1888, p. ( 2 
The Anhalonium Lewinii being a drug with 
which few are familiar, a brief description of it 
may not be out of place. Without entering 
into a minute botanical description,* it may be 
said that the plant from which the buttons are 
derived belongs to the natural order of Cactece 
(cacti), of which order there are many species, 
the Anhalonium Lewinii being the one about 
which least is known at the present time. It 
inhabits the valley of the Rio Grande in 
Mexico, growing in barren and even rocky soil, 
and often in places which can be reached with 
difficulty by those who gather it. It reaches 
a height of about one-half inch above the 
surface of the ground. The body (Fig. I., 1, 
is comparatively thick, and is surmounted by a 
top, which is composed mainly of the blunt 
leaves of the plant. In the centre of this top 
is a tuft, about one-half to one inch in diame- 
ter, composed of yellowish-white filaments or 
hairs. These tops, when dried, constitute the 
mescal buttons, the commercial form of Anha- 
lonium Lewinii. 
The mescal buttons (Fig. II.) are of a brown 
color, circular, about one to one and a half 
inches in diameter, and about one-fourth of an 
inch in thickness. The edge curls upward, 
giving to the under surface, a, a convex ap- 
pearance. In the centre of the upper surface, 
b, is a tuft composed of the yellowish-white 
hairs before mentioned, and matted down so 
as just about to reach the level of the upturned 
edge. 
The button is somewhat brittle and hard, 
and can be pulverized in a mortar with diffi- 
culty. In the mouth, however, under the 
* See Henning, Therapeutic Gazette, 1888. 3 
Fig. I. 4 
Fig. II. 5 
action of the saliva, it swells, and rapidly be- 
comes soft, the consistency which it acquires 
giving somewhat the sensation imparted by 
slippery elm. The taste is decidedly disagree- 
able and nauseous, and very bitter, with a per- 
sistent after-taste. A marked sensation of 
stinging or tingling is produced in the fauces, 
which remains for a considerable time after the 
drug has been swallowed. The powdered drug 
is odorless when dry, but acquires a nauseous 
odor upon being moistened. 
The chemical constituents of Anhalonium 
Lewinii, so far as known at the present time, 
are most interesting.* In 1888, Dr. Lewin f 
obtained from the drug an alkaloidal sub- 
stance which he tentatively named anhalonin. 
This substance is a brown, syrupy liquid, 
having an intensely alkaline reaction. It was 
found to be slightly soluble in water, but read- 
ily soluble with the aid of an acid. When sul- 
phuric acid was used as a solvent, the crystal- 
lized sulphate of an alkaloid separated in the 
form of colorless, needle-shaped crystals. 
Helfter,J by careful analysis of this syrupy 
substance, obtained three alkaloids. The first, 
probably the same one crystallized out by 
Lewin {ante), and more properly called anha- 
lonin, formed brilliant, colorless, needle- 
shaped crystals. To this Lewin has ascribed 
the formula CioHi5N03. 
* For the following account of our present knowledge 
of the chemistry of Anhalonium Lewinii I am indebted 
to Mr. E. E. Ewell, Bureau of Chemistry, United States 
Department of Agriculture. 
f Archiv fur Experimentelle Pathologie und Phar- 
makologie, 1888, xxiv. 401. 
J Dr. A. Heffter, Archiv fur Experimentelle Patholo- 
gie und Pharmakologie, Band xxxiv., Heft 1 u. 2. 6 
The second formed non-lustrous, white rhom- 
bic tables. 
The third was an amorphous and very poison- 
ous alkaloid left behind in the mother liquor. 
The chemical analysis now being made in 
the laboratory of the United States Depart- 
ment of Agriculture by Mr. E. E. Ewell, under 
the direction of Dr. H. W, Wiley, promises, 
when completed, to throw great light upon the 
chemistry of the mescal. This investigation 
likewise indicates the presence of at least three 
alkaloids. Besides these, at least two resinous 
bodies are also present, as well as a wax-like 
body, which latter is insoluble in cold alcohol, 
but is soluble in hot alcohol, petroleum ether, 
chloroform, etc. 
The resinous bodies are dark brown in color 
and very thick, and have the taste and odor of 
the moistened mescal. 
Which of these constituents is the true active 
principle of the drug cannot be stated until the 
chemical analysis is complete, and experiments 
have been carefully made with each of the con- 
stituents found, to determine its individual ac- 
tion and identity. It is the opinion at the 
Agricultural Department that the activity of the 
drug is due mainly to the resinous bodies and 
not so much to the alkaloidal constituents. 
A marked peculiarity of the mescal is that 
about one-half of its ash is potassium chloride, 
■—a proportion greater than that found in any 
other plant. 
Physiological Action.—In connection with 
the physiological action of the mescal, its use 
by the Indians is of great interest. The 
Kiowa Indians formerly for generations occu- 
pied the valley of the Rio Grande, and became 7 
addicted to the use of the mescal buttons, 
which, as already stated, are native in that re- 
gion, and they adopted its use as a regular part 
of their religious ceremonies. Later on they 
migrated from the Rio Grande, and finally took 
up their abode on the Kiowa Reservation in 
Indian Territory, which they now occupy. 
They have continued the use of the mescal 
button in their ceremonies, however, the de- 
mand being supplied by traders, who obtain it 
from the valley of the Rio Grande. Com- 
plaint being made to the government authori- 
ties at Washington by missionaries and others, 
the buying and selling of the drug was rendered 
unlawful. Nevertheless, the use of the mescal 
has persisted among the Kiowas to the present 
time. 
The religious ceremonies mentioned usually 
take place on Saturday night. The male In- 
dians, having obtained their supply of the but- 
tons, seat themselves in a circle around a large 
camp-fire, which is kept burning brightly. A 
button, after having been freed from the tuft 
of hairs, is put into the mouth, and, after it is 
thoroughly softened, it is ejected into the palm 
of the hand, rolled into a bolus, and then 
swallowed. In this way ten or twelve of the 
buttons, as a rule, are taken at intervals be- 
tween sundown and 3 a.m. Throughout the 
ceremony there is no dancing or singing, but 
the camp-fire is kept burning brightly, and a 
continual beating upon drums is kept up by 
attendants. The Indians sit quietly in a state 
of reverie, the intoxication of the drug showing 
itself in the visions of color and other mani- 
festations, which will be described later. They 
sit in this manner from sundown to noon of the next day. As the effect wears off, they get up 
and go about their work, it is claimed, without 
the slightest depression or unpleasant after- 
effect. Upon the day following the ceremony 
they carefully abstain from the use of common 
salt with their food; this, it seems, for a re- 
ligious reason, and not because of any incom- 
patibility of salt with the drug or its effects. 
This description of the manner in which the 
mescal buttons are used by the Indians was 
given to the writers by Mr. Mooney, who has 
several times partaken of the drug with them. 
It will be noticed in the following experi- 
ments that only three to seven of the buttons 
were necessary to produce a marked effect, 
whereas the Indians take ten or twelve at one 
ceremony. This difference in susceptibility is 
undoubtedly due to the tolerance for the drug 
which has arisen in the Indian as a result both 
of his own habitual use and of the hereditary 
influence received by him from his progenitors. 
Experiment I.—Chemist; age, twenty-seven; 
height, five feet five inches; weight, one hun- 
dred and twenty-three pounds. 
This experiment is of value only as showing 
the remarkable effect of the drug upon the 
brain, especially the centres of vision. No 
record of the effect upon the bodily functions 
was taken. 
About four and a half buttons were taken, 
weighing, in all, between fourteen and fifteen 
grammes. Between 9 and n p.m. three but- 
tons were slowly chewed and swallowed. A 
slight nausea was noticed after the second but- 
ton had been swallowed, which increased in 
intensity until midnight and then gradually 
disappeared. The following account is from 
8 9 
the report of the subject of the experiment, 
taken partly from notes made by himself at the 
time : 
“At eleven o’clock I retired to my room to 
prepare for bed. Before doing so, however, I 
noticed that on closing my eyes I could see all 
sorts of designs in brilliant and ever-changing 
colors. These visions were so pleasing that I 
at once decided to continue the experiment, 
and I placed the fourth and a part of the fifth 
button in my mouth. Then followed a train 
of delightful visions such as no human being 
ever enjoyed under normal conditions. My 
mind was perfectly clear and active; the power 
to concentrate my thoughts upon any desired 
subject was only slightly lessened ; seated at 
my desk, I could write of my sensations and 
experiences; stretched out upon the bed, with 
closed eyes, an ever-changing panorama of in- 
finite beauty and grandeur, of infinite variety 
of color and form, hurried before me. By 
concentrating my thoughts upon various sub- 
jects successively, the nature of the visions 
could be determined and considerable control 
exercised over the time that they remained in 
view. Perhaps the most pleasing of all the 
visions of the night were brought to view by 
my voluntarily thinking intently of the pro- 
duction of Kiralfy’s ‘America,’ as given two 
years ago. Indeed, during the passage of this 
and many other visions before my enraptured 
mental gaze, my pleasure so far passed the more 
ordinary realms of delight as to bring me to 
that high ecstatic state in which our exclama- 
tions of enjoyment become involuntary. I 
truly thought that I had experienced great 
pleasure upon many previous occasions, but the 10 
experience of this night was one quite unique 
in this regard in the history of a lifetime. 
The tendency of every feature of the experi- 
ence to prove a source of pleasure was quite 
remarkable. Efforts to fix the attention upon 
some subject which should give rise to unpleas- 
ant visions resulted in the appearance of myri- 
ads of horrible crawling monsters and seas of 
grewsome forms of human face and body which 
would cause the ordinarily sensitive human 
being to shudder. But under the influence of 
the mescal it merely added another item to the 
list of the inexpressible delights of my remark- 
able night’s experience.” 
Besides the visions mentioned, the loss of 
conception of time and space was a marked 
feature of the experiment. 
About 4 a.m. the effects of the drug began 
to pass off, and had entirely disappeared by 
evening. During the day slight depression was 
experienced with inability to sleep until 9 
P.M. 
Careful chemical examination of the urine 
passed during the experiment disclosed the 
presence of a considerable quantity of at least 
one of the alkaloids of the drug. 
Experiment 2.—Reporter; age, twenty-four ; 
height, five feet eleven inches; weight, one 
hundred and fifty-eight pounds. In prepara- 
tion for this experiment the buttons were 
ground to a coarse powder, and were adminis- 
tered in wafer-paper, the subject having pre- 
viously found it impossible to chew and swal- 
low them after the manner of the Indians 
without emesis. 
At the beginning of the experiment the 
pulse was found to be 108 and the other bodily 11 
functions normal. The height of the pulse was 
due to the unfortunate fact that he had taken a 
glass of whiskey with his supper, a short time 
before. 
Between 11.30 p.m. and 2.30 a.m. seven but- 
tons were taken at regular intervals. Observa- 
tions taken at hourly intervals showed that the 
condition of the skin, respiration, and tempera- 
ture remained normal throughout the experi- 
ment. The pupil began to dilate at 1.30 a.m. 
and remained dilated until the evening of the 
following day. The pulse-rate gradually fell 
from 108 at 11.30 p.m. to 71 at 2.30 a.m., 
and then rose to 81 at 3 a.m., and continued 
at this rate and of good quality throughout 
the experiment. A sedative effect upon the 
muscular system became apparent at 2.30 a.m., 
the subject feeling decidedly lazy and perfectly 
contented. 
At 3 a.m. began the period of intoxication 
and full effects of the drug. During this time, 
which lasted until about 7 a.m., he reclined 
lazily in his chair, disinclined to make the 
slightest movement. His eyelids drooped, and 
he scarcely moved his lips and jaw in articu- 
lating. His pupils were dilated. There was 
no exhilaration, but a tendency to reverie. 
He noticed a fine tremor of the extremities and 
a rumbling in the ears. He lost conception of 
time, the intervals between his words and 
sentences seeming inordinately long. 
Besides these constant symptoms, which per- 
sisted during the experiment, another set came 
on in paroxysms or periods, which would last a 
varying length of time,—from one to five or 
six minutes or more. The intervals between 
these periods also varied in length very much. 12 
During each paroxysm of this sort he had visions 
of ever-changing and gorgeously colored ob- 
jects, forms, and designs in motion. “The 
first sensations that followed my taking the 
drug came upon thoughtlessly closing my eyes. 
Instantly there sprang into the field of view a 
host of little tubes of shining light, down 
which green and red balls the size of peas were 
constantly rolling. The tubes of light bent 
themselves into the shape of letters, but they 
would spell nothing, and, slowly curving them- 
selves into grotesque shapes, began to revolve 
rapidly, the green and red balls going in the 
opposite direction with even greater velocity. 
All the field of view between these silent wheels 
was filled in with a shifting mass of green. The 
colors were wonderful. They were the colors 
of the spectrum intensified as though bathed in 
the fiercest sunlight. No words can give an 
idea of their intensity or of their ceaseless, per- 
sistent motion. The figures constantly changed 
in form and color, but always remained a series 
of fantastic curves, revolving rapidly back and 
forth upon their own axis. The forms changed 
through rich arabesques, Syrian carpet patterns, 
and plain geometric figures, and with each new 
form came a new flush of color, every shade 
appearing, from pure white to deepest purple. 
When the eyes opened and the light was turned 
up, the visions faded like stars going out in 
daylight, and the room, tables, chairs, and all 
surroundings came back into real existence and 
within reach of the hands.” 
During these paroxysms he also experienced 
difficulty in enunciation, and was frequently at 
loss for a word with which to express his 
thoughts. He also seemed to have a double 13 
personality,—to be outside of himself looking 
at himself. At such times, also, a marked 
symptom was a feeling of great distrust and re- 
sentment which he exhibited towards those 
who were making the experiment with him. 
He realized his “mental inferiority,” and 
firmly believed that we were secretly laughing 
at his condition. He believed that we in- 
tended to kill him, and for this reason he re- 
fused to take the eighth button at 3.30 a.m. 
He has since stated that the drug made him 
perfectly “insane” in this particular, and that 
he would have attempted violence had it not 
seemed to him too much trouble in his lazy and 
depressed condition. Between the paroxysms 
he had no such feeling, and apologized for the 
feeling which he realized he could not help. 
At about 7 a.m. the paroxysms and all symp- 
toms began to diminish in intensity, and had 
entirely disappeared at 7 p.m. During the day 
he was troubled with some disturbance of vision, 
occipital headache, sense of dual personality, 
and tendency to recurrence of the visions and 
“lapses of mind;” but he managed to do a 
day’s work. 
Experiment 3.—Subject same as in the last 
experiment. Between 11 p.m. and 1.30 a.m. 
three and a half buttons were taken in wafer- 
paper. 
Observations at regular intervals showed that 
the condition of the skin, respiration, and tem- 
perature remained normal throughout the ex- 
periment. The pulse-rate declined from 82 at 
8 a.m. to 72 at 2.30 p.m., and then rose gradu- 
ally to 78 at 3.30 p.m., and continued at this 
rate, with slight variations, throughout the ex- 
periment. The pupil began to dilate at 2.10 p.m., and remained dilated until about noon of 
the following day. Marked sedative and quiet- 
ing effect upon the muscular system appeared 
at 2 p.m., preceded by a period of “ nervous- 
ness.” The same disinclination to muscular 
effort was noted as in the last experiment, 
though not so marked ; also the fine tremor of 
the extremities. In this, as well as in the last 
experiment, a feeling of discomfort and fulness 
in the stomach followed the ingestion of the 
drug. 
At 4 p.m. a faint color display appeared 
upon closing the eyes. This effect gradually 
deepened into visions, differing from those al- 
ready described only in the fact that they were 
much less intense. They could be seen at in- 
tervals, upon closing the eyes, until about noon 
of the day following, passing off with the other 
effects of the drug. No disagreeable symptoms 
appeared, as in the last experiment,—no dual 
personality, resentment, difficulty in thought 
and enunciation, etc. He was able to work 
with extraordinary facility and ease before the 
effect of the drug passed off, and regards it, in 
the dose given, as a remarkable brain stimulant. 
No after-effects were noticed. 
Experiment 4.—Student; age, twenty-six; 
height, six feet two and a half inches; weight, 
one hundred and fifty-eight pounds. Between 
6 and 10.30 p.m. three and a half buttons were 
slowly chewed and swallowed. The pulse-rate 
fell from 90 at 6 p.m. to 80 at 7 p.m., 72 at 
8 p.m., 68 at 9 p.m., 63 at 10 p.m., and then 
rose to 72 at n p.m., So at 12 M., and remained 
at 80, with* slight variations, throughout the 
experiment. The pupil became dilated after 
the third button, and remained dilated until 
14 15 
evening of the following day. A fine tremor 
of the extremities was noted at ii p.m. A 
feeling of perfect comfort and satisfaction ap- 
peared after the second button at 9 p.m. This 
feeling was accompanied by disinclination to 
make any muscular effort, and the effect deep- 
ened into a most marked depression of the 
muscular system at about 11 p.m., which be- 
came the most prominent feature of the ex- 
periment. He became unable to walk without 
assistance, and could with difficulty maintain 
himself in the sitting posture. All of his vol- 
untary muscles took part in this depression, and 
were limp and flaccid. He did not move his 
lips in talking, and at times was unable to speak 
above a whisper. Like the subject of Experi- 
ment II., he “lapsed away” into paroxysms, 
at which times the depression was greater and 
the visions and all other symptoms more in- 
tense. In the intervals between them he was 
more nearly himself. These paroxysms could 
be precipitated at any time by turning the 
light low. 
His condition began to improve at 3 a.m., 
though the depression did not entirely disap- 
pear until 1 p.m. of the following day. 
The pulse during the period of depression 
was of good quality, and remained at 80, except 
after exertion. 
The respiration during the paroxysms was 
more shallow and rapid than normal, and in- 
terrupted occasionally by a very deep breath, 
at which he expressed the greatest satisfac- 
tion. 
Loss of conception of time was a marked 
feature of the experiment. All objects also 
seemed small and removed to a great distance, so that he needed assistance to bring a glass of 
water to his lips. 
Visions appeared upon closing his eyes at 
about the time of commencement of the de- 
pression, and lasted until about 3 a.m. , when 
they began to diminish in intensity, and finally 
disappeared at 1 p.m. on the following day. 
The visions were not brilliant displays of color, 
but the appearance in rapid succession of vari- 
ously colored familiar objects, like barrels, 
pumps, etc., and he expressed no admiration 
for them. The visions were subject to sugges- 
tion. Upon being asked if he did not see this 
or that object, it immediately appeared before 
his imagination. Thus, having suggested a 
Sunday-school, he described accurately the 
scholars, the movements of the leader, the 
song they were singing, and even sang the 
song with them before us. He fully realized 
that the vision was an effect of the drug and 
not a reality. 
His intellect was fairly clear, there being only 
slight slowness and confusion of thought at 
times. He had a sense of mental inferiority, 
and also felt that he was sinking all the time, 
and that his life was leaving him, and expressed 
anxiety as to his condition. His sense of smell 
was so far blunted that he could not recognize 
cinnamon-water, or tell whether or not tincture 
of asafoetida was a perfume. He could not rec- 
ognize cinnamon-water by the sense of taste, 
but thought it different from pure water in some 
way. During the experiment there was fre- 
quent urination, accompanied by a burning 
sensation in the urethra. Sleep was found im- 
possible during the day following. 
Throughout the experiment he complained 
16 17 
of an aching sensation in the occipital region 
and eyes. This ache and “ tired feeling” per- 
sisted in the occipital region for three days, 
being so severe on the second day that he 
could not attend to his work. 
Experiment 5.—Clerk ; age, twenty-one ; 
height, five feet ten inches; weight, one hun- 
dred and forty-eight pounds. At the com- 
mencement of the experiment the subject’s 
condition was found normal, with the excep- 
tion of the pulse, which was 96, the rapidity 
being in all probability due to excitement. 
Between 6 and 10.30 p.m. three and a half but- 
tons were slowly chewed and swallowed. 
The respiration and temperature were un- 
affected by the drug. The pulse rate gradu- 
ally declined from 96 at 6 p.m. to 66 at 9 
p.m., and then rose gradually to 78 at 11 p.m., 
and continued at that rate throughout the 
experiment. The pupils became dilated after 
the second button, and remained dilated until 
the evening of the following day. A fine 
tremor of the extremities was noted, as in the 
last experiment. The sedative and quieting 
effect of the drug appeared after the second 
button, the subject reclining lazily in his chair, 
perfectly contented, and unwilling to make any 
muscular effort. The effect upon the brain 
showed itself in this case not in the production 
of visions,—only a few visions of color being 
seen,—but in a remarkable mental exhilaration 
and stimulation, which lasted until 9 a.m. He 
was perfectly happy and experienced a sense of 
superiority and well-being. He wrote continu- 
ously an account of his sensations, but experi- 
enced difficulty in writing down his thoughts, 
so fast did they follow one another. 18 
He lost all conception of time. There was 
frequent urination, accompanied by a burning 
sensation in the urethra. Some anaesthesia of 
the surface of the body was noted. Sleep was 
found impossible during the following day. 
The last two experiments present a remark- 
able contrast in the susceptibility of the two 
persons to the effects of the drug, both taking 
the same amount, at the same time, and under 
the same conditions. 
Experiment 6.—Chemist; age, twenty-nine ; 
height, five feet ten and a half inches ; weight, 
one hundred and fifty-five pounds. Between 
io a.m. and i p.m. four buttons were taken, 
weighing, in all, 11.52 grammes. At the com- 
mencement of the experiment the subject’s 
condition was found normal ; pulse, 90. The 
respiration and temperature remained normal. 
The pulse-rate declined from 90 at 10 a.m. 
to 80 at 11 a.m., 68 at 11.30 a.m., 60 at 12 M., 
and remained at 60 until 3.30 p.m., when it 
rose to 65, 70 at 4 p.m., and continued at 
this rate. At 12.15 p.m. dilatation of the 
pupil was noted, which continued throughout 
the experiment. A sedative effect upon the 
muscular system became apparent at 11 a.m., 
after the second button. This lasted until the 
active effect of the drug passed off, and was 
a pleasant feature, and at no time approached 
actual depression. Slight uneasiness in the 
stomach was present a part of the time. 
Visions appeared upon closing the eyes at 
1.30 p.m., in the form of tapestry designs in 
black and white. From this time until 3 a.m. 
on the following morning, whenever the eyes 
were closed, a panorama of beautifully colored 
objects, designs, scenes, dances, marches, etc., 19 
passed constantly before his imagination. The 
visions were at times under the control of the 
will. The effect of music upon them was 
noted, and it was found to have no effect, ex- 
cept so far as the regular marking of the time 
was concerned. He preferred drumming to 
regular time upon a table to the music of a 
piano. The effect of this was to make the 
men, women, and objects dance, or otherwise 
keep perfect time to the drumming, and 
greatly intensified the pleasant effect of the 
drug. It will be remembered that a constant 
beating upon drums is a regular part of the 
taking of the mescal buttons by the Indians. 
His reason and will were absolutely un- 
affected. 
Partial anaesthesia of the surface of the body 
was noted at 4 p.m. All objects seemed re- 
moved to a distance, though this was less 
marked than in any of the preceding experi- 
ments. 
The effects of the drug wore off gradually, 
commencing at 5 p.m., although visions could 
be seen until 3 a.m., and sleep was found 
impossible until 5 a.m. No depression was 
experienced the next day. 
The quantity of the urine and its constit- 
uents were not altered by the drug. 
The production of visions is the most in- 
teresting of the physiological effects of the 
Anhalonium Lewinii, as shown by these ex- 
periments. The visions ranged from ill-de- 
fined flashes of color to most beautiful 
figures, forms, landscapes, dances,—in fact, 
there seemed to be absolutely no limit to the 
variety of visions which the drug could pro- 20 
duce. They could in but few cases be seen 
with the eyes open, but upon closing them 
an ever-changing panorama appeared. The 
predominating feature of the visions was the 
color effects, although the figures, forms, etc., 
were in themselves sources of pleasure and 
admiration. Drumming, or otherwise mark- 
ing regular time, enhanced the beauty and va- 
riety of the objects seen. In two cases the 
visions were under the control of the will, and 
in one case they were subject to the suggestion 
of others. The amount of pleasure derived 
from the drug seemed to vary inversely with 
the amount of muscular depression present. 
The effect of the drug in the production of 
visions is in all probability due to the stimula- 
tion of the centres of vision in the brain. The 
persistent ache and feeling of exhaustion in the 
occipital region, which was present for several 
days after Experiment 4, is of interest in this 
connection. 
In some cases no effect whatever was pro- 
duced upon the reason or will of the indi- 
vidual. In others there was some slowness of 
thought and loss of power of expression, and 
in Experiment 2 a marked delusion. Com- 
pared with other intoxicants, however, the 
effect upon the mind is extremely slight. 
Dilatation of the pupil was well marked in 
every case, and persisted for from twelve to 
twenty-four hours after the drug was taken. 
The dilatation was accompanied by a slight 
loss of the power of accommodation and con- 
sequent disturbance of vision. 
More or less depression of the muscular sys- 
tem existed in every case, and this was the first 
effect noticed after the drug was taken. It ranged from a feeling of lazy contentment to 
marked muscular depression. Susceptibility to 
this effect varied widely. Whether the seda- 
tive action is caused by depression of the 
nerve-centres, peripheral nerves, or their nerve- 
endings, or of the muscular fibres themselves, 
we are at present unable to state; but from 
concomitant nervous effects we are inclined to 
the belief that it is due to depression of the 
nervous system and not of the muscular fibres 
themselves. 
Partial anaesthesia of the skin was present in 
three of the cases, appearing when the effects 
of the drug began to wear off. 
The heart action is at first rendered more 
slow and somewhat weaker in quality. This is 
followed by a rise to the normal in quality and 
rapidity, which continues during the period of 
greatest activity of the drug. In the cases in 
which the muscular depression was greatest, 
slight, if any, depression of the heart was 
present. 
The respiration was unaffected in all cases 
except one. In this it seemed to partake 
slightly of the general muscular depression. 
Upon the stomach the drug produced an 
effect which varied from a feeling of uneasi- 
ness and fulness at intervals to nausea and 
vomiting. 
Inability to sleep for at least twelve hours 
after the effects of the drug commenced to pass 
off was a marked effect. 
Loss of the sense of time existed in all 
cases. 
No constant effect upon the bowels, skin, 
temperature, and the amount of secretion of 
the various glands of the body was found. 
21 22 
The only record of the taking of Anhalo- 
nium Levvinii for experimental purposes which 
we have been able to find is that of Briggs.* 
He took “ a third of a specimen,” and the symp- 
toms produced were the following: in fifteen 
minutes the pulse rose from 60 to 70. In 
thirty minutes there was fulness of the head, 
pulse 90, respiration 26. The sense of fulness 
increased, and was followed by a headache and 
swimming in the head. Suddenly the pulse 
shot up to 160, and the respiration increased 
so that he could with difficulty get sufficient 
breath to keep himself alive. He thought he 
was about to die, and became unconscious. In 
six to eight hours his pulse and respiration went 
down again to the normal. Great depression 
existed for twelve hours. 
The symptoms produced in this experiment 
are so widely different from those which we 
have obtained from administration of the drug 
that we cannot believe that the drug taken by 
Briggs was the same one which we have now 
under consideration. 
Lewin,f in experiments upon animals, found 
that in them the drug produced an acute mus- 
cular spasm of varying intensity, with increased 
reflexes, its action in this particular much re- 
sembling strychnine or brucine. No such effect 
was present, however, in our experiments upon 
man. Whether or not it would be produced 
by much larger doses is, of course, a matter of 
conjecture. In some animals, also, a quick- 
ened respiration was noted, which effect was 
* Lewin, Archiv fur Experimented Pathologie una 
Pkarmakologie, Band xxxiv., Heft 5 u. 6. 
f Archiv fur Experimentelle Pathologie und Pharma- 
kologie, Band xxxiv., Heft 5 u. 6. 23 
present in our experiments only in one case, 
and in the presence of great general muscu- 
lar depression. In animals, also, the heart 
remained unaffected, whereas, in man, we 
found a primary slowing of the heart action. 
In both animals and man more or less ten- 
dency to nausea and vomiting existed in most 
cases. 
The physiological action of Anhalonium 
Lewinii upon man cannot be said to be iden- 
tical with that of any other known drug. Its 
effects resemble those of certain drugs in some 
of the symptoms produced, but differ widely 
from them in others. Cannabis indica pro- 
duces visions, with dilated pupils, and with 
slight effect upon the circulation. In these 
particulars its action is similar to Anhalonium 
Lewinii. But cannabis indica is an hypnotic, 
and the delirium and hallucinations are in 
most cases followed by sleep. Anhalonium 
Lewinii, on the other hand, tends to produce 
wakefulness in every case. The Indians do not 
sleep for twenty-four hours after the commence- 
ment of their ceremony, and in our experiments 
sleep was found to be impossible for about the 
same length of time. 
In this tendency to produce wakefulness it 
resembles cocaine. The visions produced by 
cannabis indica “ are generally of a gay charac- 
ter, producing much merriment, accompanied 
by a great inclination to muscular movement. ”* 
The visions of Anhalonium Lewinii provoked 
wonder and admiration, but no merriment, and 
there was present disinclination to make any 
muscular effort. Other marked differences 
* Brunton, “ Pharmacology, Therapeutics, and Materia 
Medica,” p. 1026. 24 
exist, which will become evident to any one 
comparing the action of the two drugs. 
Of the other drugs to whose action Anha- 
lonium Lewinii may seem to bear a faint re- 
semblance,—cocaine, belladonna, strychnine, 
—the difference in action present is so great 
as to render it very improbable that any of 
them are active principles of the drug. 
Whether one or more of these substances or 
their alkaloids do not exist in the Anhalonium 
Lewinii cannot be stated until the chemical 
analysis is complete and experiments have been 
conducted to determine the identity of the 
principles isolated. 
In conclusion, we would say that Anhalo- 
nium Lewinii (mescal buttons) must not be 
confounded with the intoxicating drink, “ mes- 
cal,” used by the Mexicans and others. This 
drink is the fermented juice of one or more of 
the species of Agave. 
BIBLIOGRAPHY. 
Dr. L. Lewin. Ueber Anhalonium Lewinii und 
andere Cacteen, Archiv fiir Experimentelle Pathologie 
und Pharmakologie, 1888, xxiv. 40x ; also Therapeutic 
Gazette, 1888. 
Dr. Arthur Heffter. Ueber Pellate, Arch. f. 
Exper. Path. u. Phar., 1894, xxxiv. 65. 
Dr. L. Lewin. Ueber Anhalonium Lewinii und 
andere Cacteen, Arch. f. Exper. Path. u. Phar., 1894, 
xxxiv. 374. 
H. H. Rusby. Mescal Buttons, Bulletin of Phar- 
macy, 1894, viii. 306. 
J. M. Coulter. Contributions for the U. S. Na- 
tional Herbarium, vol. iii. No. 2. 
Dr. L. Lewin. Ueber Anhalonium Lewinii und 
andere Giftige Cacteen, Berichte der Deutschen Botan- 
ischen Gesellschaft, 1894, xii. 283. 
S. F. Landry. Therapeutic Gazette, 1888. MAY 16, 1895. 
WHOLB SERIES, VOL. XIX. No. B. THIRD SERIBS. VOL. Xfc 
Therapeutic Gazette 
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