The Encyclopedia of Psychoactive Plants: Ethnopharmacology and Its Applications

«This need is connected with the spiritual and material dilemma of our times. It is not necessary to list all of the things that are no longer right in our world. But we can mention some: in the spiritual domain, materialism, egoism, isolation, and the absence of any religious foundation; on the material level, environmental destruction as a result of technological development and over-industrialization, the ongoing depletion of natural resources, and the accumulation of immense fortunes by a few people while the majority become increasingly destitute» — Hofmann enumera lo que cuenta por dilema espiritual y material de la época: materialismo, egoísmo, aislamiento y falta de fundamento religioso de un lado; destrucción ambiental, agotamiento de recursos y concentración de fortunas del otro.

«These ominous developments have their spiritual roots in a dualistic worldview, a consciousness that splits our experience of the world into subject and object» — Hofmann pone la raíz espiritual de esos desarrollos en la cosmovisión dualista, en una consciencia que parte la experiencia en sujeto y objeto.

«This dualistic experience of the world first emerged in Europe. But it had already been at work in the Judeo-Christian worldview, with its god that sits enthroned above creation and humankind, and his admonition to “subdue . . . and have dominion . . . over every living thing that moveth upon the earth» — y la data en Europa, ya operante en la cosmovisión judeocristiana con su dios entronizado sobre la creación; el verbatim conserva los puntos suspensivos con que el Foreword recorta la cita bíblica.

«A change for the better will come about only when a general shift in consciousness takes place. Our fractured consciousness, which Gottfried Benn characterized as a “fateful European neurosis,” must be replaced by a consciousness in which creator, creation, and created are experienced as a unity» — la tesis de Hofmann: solo un cambio general de consciencia arregla lo anterior, y la consciencia fracturada que Gottfried Benn llamó neurosis europea del destino ha de ceder ante una en que creador, creación y creado se experimenten como unidad.

«All means and all ways that will help lead to a new and universal spirituality are worthy of support. Chief among these is meditation, which can be enhanced and intensified through a variety of methods, including yogic practices, breathing exercises, and fasting, and through the appropriate use of certain drugs as pharmacological aids» — Hofmann coloca la meditación a la cabeza de los medios hacia esa espiritualidad universal y pone el uso apropiado de ciertas drogas entre sus auxiliares farmacológicos, junto al yoga, los ejercicios respiratorios y el ayuno.

«The drugs I am referring to belong to a special group of psychoactive substances that have been characterized as psychedelics and, more recently, as entheogens (psychedelic sacraments). These effect an enormous stimulation of sensory perceptions, a decrease or even neutralization of the I–Thou boundary, and alterations in consciousness in the form of both sensitization and expansion» — Hofmann acota de qué drogas habla —las caracterizadas como psicodélicas y, más recientemente, como enteógenos, que glosa entre paréntesis como sacramentos psicodélicos— y describe su efecto: estimulación sensorial, merma o anulación del límite yo-tú y alteración de la consciencia.

«The use of such psychedelic drugs within a religio-ceremonial framework was discovered among Indian tribes in Mexico at the beginning and in the middle of the twentieth century» — y data el descubrimiento del uso religioso-ceremonial de esas drogas entre tribus indias de México, a principios y a mediados del siglo XX.

«Disseminating knowledge about psychoactive plants, together with the proper ways to use them, represents a valuable contribution within the context of the many and growing attempts to bring about a new, holistic consciousness. Transpersonal psychology, which is becoming ever more important in psychiatry, pursues the same goal within a therapeutic framework» — Hofmann cuenta la difusión de ese saber, con sus modos de uso, entre los intentos de traer una consciencia holística, y pone a la psicología transpersonal persiguiendo la misma meta en marco terapéutico.

«The holistic perspective is more easily practiced on living nature than on the inanimate objects created by humans. Let us look into a living mandala instead, such as that found in the calyx of a blue morning glory, which is a thousand times more perfect and beautiful than anything produced by human hand, for it is filled with life, that universal life in which both the observer and the observed find their own individual places as manifestations of the same creative spirit» — el cierre del Foreword: Hofmann propone el cáliz de una campanilla azul como mandala viviente, y dice que en esa vida universal observador y observado hallan su sitio como manifestaciones del mismo espíritu creador.

«It was during the 1967 “Summer of Love,” when I was ten years old, that I first heard of hashish. I was listening to the radio. A menacing voice spoke of the “horrible dangers” that were descending upon our imperiled youth with the “new wave of drugs” from the United States. The picture that continues to dominate our drug policies was sketched out in dramatic fashion: Hashish was a gateway drug that inevitably, even compellingly, led to death from a golden shot of heroin» — Rätsch cuenta en el Preface su primera noticia del hachís: una voz en la radio que describía la droga de entrada llevando por fuerza a la muerte por heroína.

«But by that time I had already learned that I should not trust my teachers or the conservative politicians. I instinctively felt that the voice on the radio was lying» — y da por qué no la creyó: ya había aprendido a no confiar en maestros ni en políticos conservadores, y sintió que aquella voz mentía.

«I now know that my quest to obtain hashish and my deliberations as to what it could best be combined with marked the beginnings of my ethnopharmacological research» — Rätsch data el comienzo de su propia investigación etnofarmacológica en aquella búsqueda adolescente y en la pregunta por con qué combinar la sustancia.

«During my fieldwork in Nepal, I learned that the three fundamental evils of existence are hate, envy, and ignorance. The tantric doctrine has developed a number of methods for becoming aware of these evils and overcoming them by means of altered states of consciousness» — de su trabajo de campo en Nepal trae los tres males fundamentales de la existencia —odio, envidia e ignorancia— y la doctrina tántrica que, dice, desarrolló métodos para advertirlos y vencerlos mediante estados alterados de consciencia.

«During my extended journeys to the various continents, I have seen time and again how people in all cultures, and of all social strata, religions, and skin colors, consume psychoactive plants and psychoactive products. Why do people ingest psychoactive substances? Because a fundamental drive for inebriation, ecstasy, blissful sleep, knowledge, and enlightenment is written right into our genes» — la respuesta de Rätsch a por qué la gente ingiere sustancias psicoactivas: un impulso fundamental de embriaguez, éxtasis, sueño dichoso, conocimiento e iluminación inscrito en los genes.

«Every day, most people in most cultures, whether Amazonian Indians or western Europeans, ingest the products of one or more psychoactive plants. Even the Mormons, who claim that they do not use “drugs,” have a psychoactive stimulant: Mormon tea (Ephedra nevadensis), which contains the very potent alkaloid ephedrine, the model substance for amphetamine» — Rätsch abre la introducción con el uso diario y universal de productos vegetales psicoactivos, y pone por caso a los mormones, que niegan usar drogas y tienen su té de efedra.

«Because these plants are associated with the origins of the world, they are considered sacred» — el cierre del mito tukano según Rätsch: la ayahuasca y la coca nacen de dedos rotos de las hijas del Padre Sol, y por su asociación con el origen del mundo se tienen por sagradas.

«In the modern Western world, the use of psychoactive plant products is very widespread, but their sacredness has been profaned» — la tesis de Rätsch sobre el mundo moderno: el uso de productos vegetales psicoactivos es amplísimo y lo profanado es su sacralidad.

«How many of us today, when we are sipping our morning coffee, are aware that the Sufis venerated the coffee bush as a plant of the gods and interpreted the stimulating effects of caffeine as a sign of God» — y lo ejemplifica con el café de la mañana, cuya planta veneraban los sufíes como planta de los dioses leyendo el efecto de la cafeína como señal del favor divino; el tramo se corta antes del apóstrofo tipográfico de la fuente.

«Who of us, lying in bed and smoking the first cigarette of the day, knows that tobacco is regarded as a gift of the gods that aids shamans in journeying into other realities» — segundo ejemplo de Rätsch: el cigarrillo del despertar, y el tabaco tenido por don de los dioses que ayuda al chamán a viajar a otras realidades.

«Indeed, it is this lifting off, this fact of getting “high,” the unleashing, the ecstasy, that is at the heart of the use of psychoactive» — Rätsch pone el despegue, el éxtasis y el desatarse en el centro del uso de plantas y productos psicoactivos; la frase sigue en la línea siguiente.

«This encyclopedia is a testimony to the wealth of knowledge that humans have acquired about these substances. Through proper use and proper knowledge, we too—like our ancestors—may learn to once again recognize the sacred nature of inebriants and utilize these to have profound experiences of the sacredness of nature» — y declara para qué es el libro: testimonio del saber acumulado sobre esas sustancias, y vía para volver a reconocer la naturaleza sagrada de los embriagantes.

«Psychoactive plants are plants that people ingest in the form of simple or complex preparations in order to affect the mind or alter the state of consciousness» — la definición operativa con que Rätsch abre el libro: planta psicoactiva es la que se ingiere, en preparación simple o compleja, para afectar la mente o alterar el estado de consciencia.

«Consciousness is an energy field that can expand, shift amorphously like an amoeba through the hidden corners of the world, dissolve in the ocean of desire, or crystallize in geometric clarity. Through the use of psychoactive plants and products, consciousness can be paralyzed, subdued, and contained; it can also be animated, stimulated, and expanded» — y la noción de consciencia con que trabaja: un campo de energía que se expande, se desplaza o cristaliza, y al que estas plantas pueden paralizar y contener o animar y expandir.

«The renowned Berlin toxicologist Louis Lewin (1850–1929) referred to all those substances that produce some sort of psychoactive effects as phantastica. Carl Hartwich (1851–1917), a pharmacist, described them as “human means of pleasure.” Timothy Leary (1920–1996) preferred to speak of them as neuro-botanical substances» — Rätsch alinea tres nombres anteriores para la misma clase: la phantastica del toxicólogo berlinés Louis Lewin, los medios humanos de placer del farmacéutico Carl Hartwich y las sustancias neurobotánicas de Timothy Leary, con sus fechas tal como las imprime el libro.

«Among the Tukano Indians, the use of psychoactive plants is mythologically associated with the origins of the world. The Sun Father was a payé, a shaman, who gave the shamans of our time all of their knowledge and abilities» — según Rätsch, entre los tukano el uso de las plantas psicoactivas se asocia míticamente al origen del mundo, y el Padre Sol es un payé que dio a los chamanes de hoy todo su saber.

«Today, the most commonly used term is still hallucinogen. By definition, a hallucinogen is a substance that evokes hallucinations» — Rätsch registra que el término más usado sigue siendo alucinógeno y da su definición por el efecto.

«Because the term hallucination now has a psychopathological tinge to it, nonmedical circles and publications usually prefer the terms psychedelic, entheogen, or visionary substance and accordingly speak of psychedelic, entheogenic, or visionary experiences» — y explica el desplazamiento del vocabulario: como *hallucination* quedó teñido de psicopatología, fuera de la medicina se prefiere *psychedelic*, *entheogen* o sustancia visionaria.

«Shamans, of course, the traditional specialists in psychoactive substances, do not speak of psychoactive drugs, psychotropics, or hallucinogens—not to mention narcotics—but of plant teachers, magical plants,3 plants of the gods, sacred beverages, et cetera. They revere these mind-altering plants and make them offerings; they use them not as recreational drugs or as something to get “high” with in the evening but as sacraments in their rituals» — la distinción de vocabulario que Rätsch atribuye a los chamanes: ni drogas psicoactivas ni alucinógenos ni narcóticos, sino plantas maestras, plantas mágicas, plantas de los dioses y bebidas sagradas, usadas como sacramentos y no como recreo.

«All archaic and ethnographic cultures developed methods for inducing such experiences (Bourguignon 1973; Dittrich 1996). Some of these methods are more efficacious than others. The most effective method of all is to ingest psychoactive plants or substances» — y ordena los métodos: todas las culturas arcaicas y etnográficas desarrollaron alguno para inducir el éxtasis, unos más eficaces que otros, y el más eficaz de todos es ingerir plantas o sustancias psicoactivas.

«These methods, however, require certain skills, for there are many factors that play a role in shaping the effects and the contents of the experiences. The most important is proper use—that is, a responsible and goal-oriented use» — el límite que Rätsch pone a lo anterior: estos métodos piden destreza, porque muchos factores dan forma al efecto y al contenido, y el más importante es el uso propio, responsable y orientado a un fin.

«There are many different ways to use psycho-active plants. The reasons they are consumed range from relaxation, recreation, and pleasure (hedonism) to medical and therapeutic treatments and to ritual and religious ceremonies and spiritual growth. It is the task of culture and society to provide the individual with patterns for using them that serve these purposes» — Rätsch despliega el abanico de razones de consumo —relajación, recreo, hedonismo, tratamiento médico y terapéutico, ceremonia ritual y religiosa, crecimiento espiritual— y asigna a la cultura y a la sociedad la tarea de dar los patrones de uso.

«Both experience and research have very clearly demonstrated that every culture in the world either has used or still does use psychoactive substances in traditional contexts» — la generalización de Rätsch sobre la cultura de la droga: toda cultura del mundo ha usado o usa sustancias psicoactivas en contextos tradicionales.

«It is possible to classify many psychoactive plants and the products made from them into different types of rituals that reflect how they are used» — Rätsch propone clasificar plantas y productos por el tipo de ritual en que se usan, y abre con esa rejilla el catálogo de usos rituales que ocupa las planas siguientes.

«The theory of dosage, set, and setting provides a useful model for better understanding the effects of psychoactive plants. Dr. Timothy Leary (1920–1996), a Harvard professor, conducted scientific experiments with psychedelic substances (LSD and psilocybin) in the early 1960s. On the basis of his own experiences and his systematic observations, he and his colleagues Ralph Metzner and Richard Alpert (Ram Dass) developed this theory (Leary et al. 1964), which states that there are three main factors responsible for the experiences induced by psychedelics» — Rätsch adopta la teoría de dosis, set y setting y la adjudica a Timothy Leary con Ralph Metzner y Richard Alpert, a partir de los experimentos con LSD y psilocibina de principios de los sesenta.

«The first factor is the dosage—a truism since ancient times, or at least since Paracelsus. The set is the internal attitudes and constitution of the person, including his expectations, his wishes, his fears. The third aspect is the setting, which pertains to the surroundings, the place, and the time—in short, the space in which the experiences transpire» — y define los tres factores: la dosis, el *set* o actitud y constitución internas con sus expectativas y miedos, y el *setting* o entorno, lugar y tiempo.

«The model that Timothy Leary proposed for the psychedelics also applies to experiences with other psychoactive plants (including the stimulants and narcotics). All three factors must be carefully considered when one wishes to have experiences with and understand these plants. Even in the same person, the same plant can evoke very different effects if the dosage, set, and setting are changed» — Rätsch extiende el modelo de Leary a las demás plantas psicoactivas, estimulantes y narcóticos incluidos, y saca la consecuencia: en una misma persona la misma planta da efectos muy distintos si cambian dosis, set y setting.

«magic mushrooms: a medicinal, an aphrodisiac, and a shamanic. For the medicinal dosage, a quantity is administered that does not produce any psychoactive effects but that can heal certain ailments. The aphrodisiac dosage is higher: The mind is activated but not overpowered by visions or hallucinations; perception and sensitivity are heightened and the body is aroused and invigorated. The shamanic dosage catapults consciousness into an entirely different reality that is flooded with cosmic visions and enables a person to peer into worlds that are beyond the normal experience of space and time» — los tres niveles de dosis que Rätsch atribuye a los indios americanos para los hongos: el medicinal sin efecto psicoactivo, el afrodisíaco que activa sin avasallar, y el chamánico que lanza la consciencia a otra realidad; el tramo abre en la plana 22 continuando la frase de la 21.

«Set is perhaps the most important factor for becoming aware of the efficaciousness of a psychoactive plant, especially when a hallucinogenic substance is involved. These substances have the ability to activate, potentiate, and sometimes mercilessly expose everything that a person has in his or her consciousness or buried beneath it» — Rätsch da al *set* el primer puesto tratándose de sustancias alucinógenas, por su capacidad de activar, potenciar y exponer sin piedad lo que la persona lleva en la consciencia o enterrado debajo.

«In traditional cultures, set is shaped primarily by the worldview that all individuals share and is especially expressed in a tribe» — y dice de qué se hace el *set* en las culturas tradicionales: de la cosmovisión compartida, expresada sobre todo en la mitología de la tribu; el tramo se corta antes del apóstrofo de la fuente.

«and other realities. Using this cartography, an explorer of consciousness can reach the desired goal. And he can always count on the help of the shaman who accompanies him, for the shaman is the best cartographer of the other, visionary reality. Even when a person gets lost in that world, the shaman can bring him back. The contents of the visions, in other words, are shaped by culture» — la función que Rätsch da a la mitología: cartografía de los mundos visionarios, con el chamán por mejor cartógrafo y capaz de traer de vuelta al que se pierde; de ahí que el contenido de las visiones lo dé la cultura.

«A shaman is one who has attained a vision of the beginnings and the endings of all things and who can communicate that vision. To the rational thinker, this is inconceivable, yet the techniques of shamanism are directed toward this end and this is the source of their power. Preeminent among the shaman’s techniques is the use of the plant hallucinogens, repositories of living vegetable gnosis that lie, now nearly forgotten, in our ancient past» — la definición de chamán que Rätsch toma de Terence McKenna: el que ha alcanzado una visión de los comienzos y los finales de todas las cosas y puede comunicarla, con los alucinógenos vegetales por técnica preeminente.

«What he meant is that shamanic consciousness is the real world or, as the Indians say, the» — Rätsch glosa la frase del etnopsicólogo Holger Kalweit sobre el chamanismo como puerta al mundo real: la consciencia chamánica es el mundo real, o la verdadera realidad; el tramo se corta antes de las comillas de la fuente.

«For many Indians in the Central and South American rain forests, the everyday world is an illusion, a superficial necessity» — según Rätsch, para muchos indios de las selvas centroamericanas y sudamericanas el mundo de todos los días es una ilusión, una necesidad superficial.

«The spirits of the plant are the same spirits who aid the shaman in the healing process» — la identificación que Rätsch sostiene: los espíritus de la planta son los mismos que asisten al chamán en la curación.

«Not everyone, however, can control the spirit helpers» — y el límite con que la acota, apoyándose en Deltgen: no cualquiera gobierna a los espíritus auxiliares.

«Like their shamans, most of the Indians of the Amazon base their lives upon the visions they receive through ayahuasca» — Rätsch extiende del chamán a la comunidad: la mayoría de los indios amazónicos apoyan su vida en las visiones que les llegan por la ayahuasca.

«Shamans throughout the world consume psychoactive plants and products so that they may be able to enter the shamanic state of consciousness and travel to the visionary world, the other reality. The substances shamans use are very diverse both chemically and pharmacologically. The active substances they contain belong to different classes that are analogs of or related to different endogenous neurotransmitters (see the box above).7 Nevertheless, they are all pharmacological stimuli for achieving the selfsame purpose: to produce the shamanic state of consciousness» — la tesis unificadora de Rätsch: las sustancias que usan los chamanes son químicamente muy diversas y pertenecen a clases análogas de distintos neurotransmisores endógenos, y aun así son estímulos farmacológicos para un mismo fin, producir el estado chamánico de consciencia.

«This fact was verified through the research of Adolf Dittrich, who demonstrated that experiences in altered states of consciousness—and compared to everyday reality, the shamanic state of consciousness is very altered—are identical at the core, no matter which pharmacological and/or psychological stimuli elicited them» — y la apoya en la investigación de Adolf Dittrich, que según Rätsch mostró que las experiencias en estados alterados son idénticas en el núcleo cualquiera que sea el estímulo que las provoque.

«On the basis of my own experiences with a variety of psychoactive plants, I can attest that different active substances can evoke the same state of consciousness, e.g., trance, but will not always do so, for the same drug can produce totally different effects in different people» — Rätsch habla aquí en primera persona y matiza a Dittrich desde su propia experimentación: sustancias distintas pueden evocar el mismo estado, por ejemplo el trance, pero no siempre lo hacen.

«In order to produce the same state, i.e., the shamanic state of consciousness, more than just a psychoactive substance is needed. The user must also have the appropriate intention and the appropriate external conditions» — la consecuencia que saca: para el estado chamánico no basta la sustancia, hacen falta además la intención y las condiciones externas adecuadas.

«Mythology and cosmology provide the topography or cartography of the shamanic world and show the ways into it and back out. The ritual provides the outer framework that facilitates the user’s transition from everyday reality to shamanic reality and back» — el reparto de funciones que Rätsch fija: mitología y cosmología dan la topografía del mundo chamánico y el camino de ida y vuelta, y el ritual da el marco exterior del tránsito.

«The shamanic use of psychoactive plants follows a specific basic pattern, whereby it is relatively unimportant which substance is being used. First and foremost are the form, meaning, and purpose (function) of a ritual» — Rätsch sostiene que el uso chamánico sigue un patrón básico en el que importa poco qué sustancia se emplee: lo primero son la forma, el sentido y la función del ritual.

«these plants as sacred because they make it possible for them to contact the true reality and the gods, spirits, and demons. They are sacred because within them dwell plant spirits, plant gods, or devas that one can ally oneself with and that are esteemed as the teachers, mothers, ambassadors, and doctores» — Rätsch da la razón de esa sacralidad según los chamanes: en las plantas moran espíritus, dioses vegetales o devas con los que se hace alianza y a los que se tiene por maestros, madres, embajadores y médicos de otras realidades; el tramo abre en la plana 15 continuando la frase de la 14.

«With the aid of these plants, one does not lose control, for control is ultimately an illusion» — Rätsch niega que con estas plantas se pierda el control, porque el control es en último término una ilusión; la llamada de nota que el troceo pega a la palabra final queda fuera del verbatim.

«The experience of ecstasy is just as much a part of being human and leading a fulfilling and happy life as is the experience of orgasm» — la tesis con que Rätsch abre el capítulo del uso: la experiencia del éxtasis pertenece a la vida humana lograda tanto como la del orgasmo.

«The possibility of having ecstatic experiences is one of the fundamental conditions of human consciousness» — y la eleva a condición: poder tener experiencias extáticas es una de las condiciones fundamentales de la consciencia humana.

«Marzahn analyzed traditional rituals that employ psycho-active substances—he uses the term drug, most likely as a provocation—and from these developed a model that suggests that, throughout the world, common drug cultures continually emerge and establish themselves» — Rätsch recoge el modelo de Marzahn —a quien atribuye el uso provocador de la palabra *droga*— según el cual las culturas de la droga emergen y se establecen una y otra vez en el mundo entero.

«The shaman is not only a hunter, warrior, healer, diviner, and entertainer, but also a natural scientist and thinker» — Rätsch amplía la figura del chamán más allá del cazador, el guerrero, el sanador, el adivino y el animador: también científico natural y pensador.

«Elizabeth Reichel-Dolmatoff reports that among the Tanimuka, a Tukano Indian group, shamanism is consequently referred to as» — y trae de la antropóloga Elizabeth Reichel-Dolmatoff que entre los tanimuka, grupo tukano, al chamanismo se lo llama *pensar*; el nombre de la antropóloga va tal como lo imprime el libro y el tramo se corta antes de las comillas de la fuente.

«As with all human abilities, however, this talent is not the same in everyone. Only the most talented can become shamans. In the same way, humans all differ with regard to our boldness and courage. Only the most courageous of us can become shamans. Fearful people should not confront the gods and demons» — Rätsch trata el talento chamánico como desigual: solo los más dotados y los más valientes llegan a chamanes, y el miedoso no debe enfrentarse a dioses ni demonios.

«And they are used not to escape from reality but to recognize true reality» — y niega la otra lectura al uso: estas plantas no se usan para escapar de la realidad sino para reconocer la verdadera.

«The structure of the ritual follows a pattern that I have termed the “psychedelic ritual of knowledge» — Rätsch nombra el patrón que dice haber acuñado para la estructura de ese ritual; el tramo se corta antes de la referencia con que el libro remite a su propio trabajo de 1991.

«The fear of consciousness-expanding plants is at least as old as the Bible. In Genesis, this fear is thematically expressed as the Fall. The fruit of the tree of knowledge transforms a person into a god» — Rätsch data el miedo a las plantas que expanden la consciencia al menos en la Biblia y lo lee en la Caída: el fruto del árbol del conocimiento convierte a un hombre en dios.

«In many hierarchical cultures with an imperialistic orientation (emphasizing power instead of knowledge), immediate mystical, ecstatic, or religious experience is heavily regulated and is usually even forbidden. The direct experience of the world has been replaced by an elaborate, theologically driven religion and is monopolized by the state. Paradise, that other reality, is administered by bureaucrats who have not personally experienced it and who sell it to the needy and those who crave ecstasy» — la tesis política de Rätsch: en las culturas jerárquicas de orientación imperialista la experiencia mística inmediata se regula o se prohíbe, se sustituye por una religión teológica y se monopoliza por el Estado, y el paraíso queda administrado por burócratas que no lo han experimentado.

«Jonathan Ott has referred to this mechanism as the “pharmacratic inquisition» — Rätsch adopta para ese mecanismo el nombre que dice haber puesto Jonathan Ott; el tramo se corta antes del año entre paréntesis con que el libro lo referencia.

«As the Europeans pushed into the New World, they encountered for the first time shamans, whom they contemptuously labeled “magicians” and “black artists.” The shamans’ gods and helping spirits were degraded as false gods, idols, and the devil’s work; their sacred drinks were defamed as witches» — Rätsch describe el primer encuentro europeo con los chamanes: los llamaron magos y artistas negros, degradaron a sus dioses y espíritus auxiliares a ídolos y obra del diablo, y difamaron sus bebidas sagradas; el tramo se corta antes del apóstrofo de la fuente.

«As for the introduction of the use of a plant or root named peyote . . . for the purpose of uncovering thievery, divinations about other occurrences, and prophesizing future events, this is a superstition which is to be condemned because it is directed against the purity and integrity of our sacred Catholic faith. This is certain, for neither this named plant nor any other possesses the power or intrinsic property of being able to bring about the alleged effects, nor can anything produce the mental images, fantasies, or hallucinations that are the basis of the mentioned» — el informe inquisitorial de D. Pedro Nabarre de Isla que Rätsch reproduce: condena el peyote por superstición contraria a la fe católica y niega que planta alguna tenga la propiedad intrínseca de producir esos efectos; los nombres y la fecha van tal como los imprime el libro.

«Even today, the sacred plants of the Indians and/or their active constituents are forbidden throughout the world. While the use of peyote, mescaline, psilocybin (the active principle of Mexican magic mushrooms), DMT, et cetera, is in principle exempt from punishment, the possession of or trafficking in these is nevertheless illegal (Körner 1994). The drug laws of our time, in other words, are rooted in the spirit of the Catholic Inquisition» — Rätsch traza la continuidad que le interesa: las plantas sagradas de los indios siguen prohibidas y las leyes de drogas de hoy tienen su raíz, dice, en el espíritu de la Inquisición católica.

«As long as the sacred plants and substances of the Indians remain illegal, the war against the indigenous peoples of the Americas will not be over. Generally speaking, the U.S. “War on Drugs” is a continuation of European colonialism and an instrument for criminalizing the Indians and their spiritual kin» — y saca la consecuencia política: mientras esas plantas sigan siendo ilegales la guerra contra los pueblos indígenas de América no habrá terminado, y la guerra contra las drogas es continuación del colonialismo europeo.

«This phobia about drugs is nothing new, for drugs have been viewed as wild and reprehensible since ancient times (think of the persecution of the mystical followers of Dionysos, as well as of the witches, alchemists, and hippies» — Rätsch alinea en una sola serie a los seguidores místicos de Dioniso, a las brujas, a los alquimistas y a los hippies como objetos sucesivos de esa misma fobia.

«The fear of drugs and the experiences associated with them is found even throughout the various camps of shamanism fans and in academic circles. Mircea Eliade, for example, discounted the use of drugs to produce trance and (archaic) ecstasy as “degenerate shamanism» — y la extiende a los propios estudiosos: registra que Mircea Eliade descontó el uso de drogas para producir trance y éxtasis arcaico llamándolo chamanismo degenerado; el tramo se corta antes del año entre paréntesis.

«It appears, however, that almost all traditional shamans prefer pharmacological stimuli» — la objeción de Rätsch a quienes niegan el papel de las drogas en el trance chamánico: casi todos los chamanes tradicionales, dice, prefieren el estímulo farmacológico; el tramo se corta antes de la lista de referencias.

«When the Christian Europeans encountered their first shamans, they saw them as black magicians, master witches who had allied themselves with the devil and who, with his help, were leading the other members of their tribe down the road to ruin» — según Rätsch, los europeos cristianos vieron en los chamanes magos negros aliados del diablo que arrastraban a su tribu a la ruina.

«anthropology, shamans were regarded as schizophrenics, psychopaths, and sufferers of arctic hysteria, that is, as people who are ill. Strange indeed that these ill people are the very ones who concern themselves with the task of healing» — Rätsch registra el diagnóstico de la psiquiatría tradicional —esquizofrénicos, psicópatas, histéricos árticos— y le opone una extrañeza: son esos enfermos los que se ocupan de curar; el tramo abre en la plana 31 continuando la frase de la 30.

«In the more recent ethnographic literature, especially that based upon the approach known as cognitive anthropology, shamans are looked at from the perspective of that which they represent for their communities: people who, because of their calling and their special gift of trance, are able to divine, diagnose, and heal. In doing so, they maintain harmony in the community, preserve the tribal myths and traditions, and ensure the survival of their people» — y da el saldo de la antropología cognitiva: el chamán mirado por lo que representa para su comunidad —adivinar, diagnosticar y curar, mantener la armonía, preservar los mitos y asegurar la supervivencia del pueblo.

«The interdiction of psychoactive plants and their effects is not bolstered solely by questionable politically based laws, but also receives support from the side of established science. Here, two concepts from psychiatry have played key roles: psychotomimetic and model psychosis. The first is a term for a substance that is said to mimic a psychosis; the second is a term used to characterize the experience. As a result, these plants and the effects they produce are viewed not as something sacred or mystical but as something pathological» — la tesis de Rätsch sobre la ciencia establecida: dos conceptos de la psiquiatría, *psychotomimetic* y *model psychosis*, hicieron que estas plantas y sus efectos se miraran como patológicos y no como sagrados.

«Mescaline was first extracted, chemically identified, and synthesized from the Mexican peyote cactus at the end of the nineteenth century. At that time, the effects of mescaline upon healthy subjects were thought to be the same as those that were otherwise known only from psychiatric patients» — Rätsch data la extracción, identificación y síntesis de la mescalina a partir del peyote a finales del siglo XIX, y dice que entonces se tuvieron sus efectos en sanos por los mismos que se conocían de los pacientes psiquiátricos.

«The concept of the model psychosis is simply another form of ethnocentrism. Whereas the Inquisition saw the workings of the devil in these psychoactive substances, psychiatrists interpreted the sacred visions as psychotic-like states, that is, as “artificially” induced mental illnesses» — Rätsch llama etnocentrismo al concepto de psicosis modelo: donde la Inquisición vio obra del diablo, la psiquiatría interpretó las visiones sagradas como enfermedades mentales inducidas artificialmente.

«Recent research into the brain activity of true psychotics and of healthy users of psychedelics, using PET scans, has demonstrated that very different regions of the brain are active in each» — y da el dato con que lo cierra: según Rätsch la investigación con tomografía por emisión de positrones halló que en psicóticos verdaderos y en usuarios sanos de psicodélicos se activan regiones cerebrales muy distintas.

«Since addictive behaviors can arise with respect to almost every substance, many foods, luxury goods, and numerous medicines should also be seen as addictive substances» — la objeción de Rätsch a definir el embriagante por su potencial adictivo: como la conducta adictiva puede darse con casi cualquier sustancia, habría que contar entre las adictivas muchos alimentos, bienes de consumo y medicinas.

«So, are chocolate and sugar invigorating foodstuffs, delicious luxury goods, or addictive drugs» — y la deja en pregunta abierta sobre el chocolate y el azúcar, apoyándose en Jonathan Ott y en Terence McKenna con Kathleen Pieper.

«Since ancient times, psychoactive substances have been used by athletes as doping agents (cf. Mammillaria spp.). In the modern world of competitive sports, the plant substance ephedrine and its derivatives (amphetamines), camphor (cf. Cinnamomum camphora), strychnine, and cocaine have all been used» — Rätsch inscribe el dopaje deportivo en la misma historia y enumera lo usado en el deporte de competición moderno: efedrina y sus derivados, alcanfor, estricnina y cocaína.

«The Mexican inquisition provides the best historical example of the suppression of personal experience and its replacement by a state monopoly for administering the divine» — y pone la inquisición mexicana por mejor caso histórico de esa sustitución de la experiencia personal por un monopolio estatal de lo divino.

«large portion of the literature on shamanism specialized in demonstrating that shamans are con artists who use sleight of hand to trick the other members of their tribes and that, in the best of cases, they are charlatans whose methods are irrational and superstitious» — Rätsch da el saldo de buena parte de la literatura sobre chamanismo: demostrar que los chamanes son embaucadores de prestidigitación o, en el mejor caso, charlatanes de métodos irracionales.

«It is striking that all of the great plant researchers have been avid collectors of both information and materials and have also tested the effects of as many plants as possible on themselves, for how can one evaluate the effects of a plant if one has never seen or touched it, not to mention ingested it» — Rätsch pone la autoexperimentación como rasgo común de los grandes investigadores de plantas y la justifica con una pregunta: cómo evaluar el efecto de una planta que nunca se vio, ni se tocó, ni se ingirió.

«The study of psychoactive plants began with the beginnings of botany. Theophrastus (ca. 370–287 B.C.E.), the “father of botany,” has given us descriptions of numerous psychoactive plants and substances» — y hace arrancar el estudio de estas plantas con la botánica misma, en Teofrasto, a quien el libro llama padre de la botánica; las fechas van tal como las imprime el troceo.

«In late ancient times, other books of herbal lore joined Pliny’s (23– 79 C.E.) Natural History. The most important of these was Dioscorides’s (ca. first century) Teachings on Medicines, which is still important in our time. This work provides information about numerous psychoactive plants, including their various names, preparations, and uses» — Rätsch encadena la herbolaria antigua: la Historia natural de Plinio y, por encima de ella, la obra de Dioscórides, que sigue contando hoy y que informa de numerosas plantas psicoactivas con sus nombres, preparaciones y usos.

«In the Middle Ages, descriptions of psycho-active plants were found especially in the writings of Arabic and Indian authors, such as» — y sitúa las descripciones medievales sobre todo en autores árabes e indios; la frase sigue en la plana siguiente con Avicena.

«In Germany, many plants (including hemp, henbane, and deadly nightshade) were described by the abbess» — Rätsch atribuye a la abadesa Hildegard von Bingen la descripción alemana de muchas de estas plantas, cáñamo, beleño y belladona entre ellas; el tramo se corta antes del paréntesis con las fechas.

«The great period of the “fathers of botany” dawned at the beginning of the modern era. This period witnessed the publication of voluminous herbals full of information about psychoactive plants. Among their authors are Leonhart Fuchs (1501–1566), Jacobus Theodorus Tabernaemontanus (1522–1590), Hieronymus Bock (1498– 1554), Otto Brunfels (ca. 1490–1534), and Pierandrea Matthiolus» — la nómina de los padres de la botánica moderna que Rätsch alinea por sus herbarios llenos de plantas psicoactivas: Leonhart Fuchs, Jacobus Theodorus Tabernaemontanus, Hieronymus Bock, Otto Brunfels y Pierandrea Matthiolus, con las grafías del libro.

«During the colonization of the New World, the Spanish king sent physicians and botanists to Mexico and Peru. Their task was to investigate the indigenous flora to determine potential medicinal uses. The results were published in a number of compendia dedicated to American flora and its healing effects. All of these works contain numerous references to psychoactive plants and their medicinal and psychoactive uses» — Rätsch cuenta la comisión colonial: el rey de España mandó médicos y botánicos a México y Perú a investigar la flora indígena, y los compendios resultantes están llenos de referencias a plantas psicoactivas.

«The systematic study of psychoactive plants first began in the nineteenth century. Dr. Ernst von Bibra (1806–1878), a baron from Lower Franconia, was a private scholar typical of his time» — y data en el siglo XIX el comienzo del estudio sistemático, con el barón Ernst von Bibra por figura inicial.

«One could not name a single country in the whole wide world in which the inhabitants are not using some sort of narcotic. Indeed, almost all use several of them. Although perhaps only a few tribes use certain of these substances, millions of people employ the vast majority of them» — la tesis de Bibra que Rätsch cita: no hay país en el mundo cuyos habitantes no usen algún narcótico, y casi todos usan varios.

«We have learned from experience that man can live without narcotics or without alcoholic drinks, which we wish to include here because of their similar effects. By taking these substances, however, man’s life becomes brighter and therefore they ought to be approved» — la conclusión de Bibra que Rätsch llama de sonido muy moderno: se puede vivir sin narcóticos, pero con ellos la vida se vuelve más luminosa y por eso deben aprobarse.

«Clearly, the notion that we have a right to inebriation was already current at that time» — y la lee como derecho a la embriaguez ya formulado en aquella época.

«In German-speaking countries, Bibra’s work launched a wave of interdisciplinary drug research that has continued into the present day» — Rätsch hace de Bibra el arranque de una ola de investigación interdisciplinaria de las drogas en los países de habla alemana que, dice, llega hasta hoy.

«These pioneering works led to the development of psychopharmacology or pharmacopsychology, a field that has attracted psychiatrists, pharmacologists, pharmacognosists, and chemists. Pharmacopsychology has been defined as “the doctrine of influencing the mental life by means of chemically effective substances introduced into the body» — Rätsch data en esas obras pioneras el nacimiento de la psicofarmacología o farmacopsicología y da la definición de Lippert: doctrina de influir en la vida mental por sustancias químicamente eficaces introducidas en el cuerpo.

«The most important chemist in this history of research is the Swiss Albert Hofmann. Not only did he invent LSD while investigating the ergot alkaloids, but also he discovered the active principles in the magic mushrooms of Mexico as well as other American Indian magical drugs» — Rätsch pone a Albert Hofmann por químico más importante de esta historia, por la invención del LSD y por el hallazgo de los principios activos de los hongos mexicanos y de otras drogas mágicas indígenas.

«Among the pioneers of psychoactive ethnology are Pablo Blas Reko, Weston La Barre, Johannes Wilbert, Peter Furst, and Michael Harner. Today, the role played by Carlos Castaneda is a source of considerable» — la nómina de pioneros de la etnología psicoactiva que Rätsch levanta —Pablo Blas Reko, Weston La Barre, Johannes Wilbert, Peter Furst y Michael Harner— y la reserva que añade sobre el papel de Carlos Castaneda, que llama hoy controvertido.

«Toward the end of the nineteenth century, ethnobotany began to emerge as a specialized branch of science. The term was introduced in 1895 by John W. Harshberger (1869–1929). Both ethnologists and botanists have specialized in ethnobotany. A British scholar, Richard Spruce (1817–1893), was one of the pioneers of ethno-botany» — Rätsch data la aparición de la etnobotánica como rama especializada y atribuye la introducción del término a John W. Harshberger, con Richard Spruce entre sus pioneros.

«Ethnomycology, the study of the cultural uses of fungi, was founded by the banker R. Gordon Wasson (1898–1986). In some ways, Jonathan Ott, a chemist who investigates natural substances, has become Wasson» — Rätsch adjudica la fundación de la etnomicología al banquero R. Gordon Wasson y pone a Jonathan Ott por sucesor suyo en cierto modo; el tramo se corta antes del apóstrofo de la fuente.

«During the past thirty years, ethnopharmacology, the study of the cultural uses of pharmacologically active substances and their cognitive interpretations, has developed into a specialized field within the disciplines of ethno-botany and ethnomedicine. It is a young field that is very interdisciplinary in nature. This encyclopedia is a work of this nature» — la definición de etnofarmacología con que Rätsch clasifica su propio libro: estudio de los usos culturales de las sustancias farmacológicamente activas y de sus interpretaciones cognitivas.

«Finally, we should also mention closet shamans. This term has come to be used for amateurs and hobbyists who experiment at home with psychoactive plants and preparations, occasionally making astonishing discoveries that are then eagerly taken up and pursued by scientists. Almost all of the research into ayahuasca analogs has been conducted by these closet shamans» — Rätsch acuña un lugar para el aficionado: los *closet shamans* que experimentan en casa y hacen hallazgos que la ciencia recoge, y a quienes atribuye casi toda la investigación sobre los análogos de la ayahuasca.

«Wotan is both the god of knowledge and the restless shaman who will do whatever he can to satisfy his immeasurable thirst for knowledge. It was he who stole the Mead of Inspiration and brought it to us humans» — Rätsch pregunta si la concentración alemana de estos hallazgos es cosa del alma germánica y trae a Wotan, dios del conocimiento y chamán inquieto que robó el hidromiel de la inspiración para los hombres.

«Although I personally do not believe that shamanism was one of the very first religions, I do think that the altered states of consciousness and visions induced by psychoactive plants have led to significant cultural innovations» — la posición propia de Rätsch, dicha en primera persona y con su reserva dentro: no cree que el chamanismo fuera una de las primeras religiones, y sí que los estados alterados y las visiones inducidos por estas plantas trajeron innovaciones culturales de peso.

«Where do these pictures come from? Do they arise in the human brain as a result of the material interaction between molecules from without and the brain stem? Can we, using these substances that come from outside of ourselves, look into realities that truly are outside and for which we normally have no perception» — Rätsch plantea la pregunta abierta por el origen de las imágenes: si nacen en el cerebro por interacción molecular o si con estas sustancias se mira a realidades que están realmente fuera y que de ordinario no se perciben.

«No matter the answer, the wonder or the mystery remains the same! Wherever the images come from, they are present, they can be perceived, they are a reality that can be experienced» — y la deja sin arbitrar, quedándose con lo que le parece indiscutible: vengan de donde vengan, las imágenes están ahí, se perciben y son una realidad experimentable.

«Although no one has been able to provide a definitive answer, the hypotheses and positions that have been put forth can be divided into two camps. One assumes that all reality is merely a projection of our own consciousness; the other holds that there are numerous or even infinitely many different realities in the external world» — Rätsch reparte las respuestas en dos campos sin arbitrar entre ellos: el que hace de toda realidad una proyección de la propia consciencia y el que admite realidades numerosas o infinitas en el mundo exterior.

«We can take shamanism seriously only if we follow the second view, for if we assume that the shaman is only flying around within his own skull, then he would not be able to recover, liberate, and bring back stolen souls» — y ahí sí declara la suya, por consecuencia: el chamanismo solo se toma en serio con la segunda, porque un chamán que solo vuela dentro de su cráneo no podría recobrar y traer de vuelta almas robadas.

«The internal images and visions induced by psychoactive plants appear to have influenced human art since the Stone Age» — la tesis de Rätsch sobre el arte: las imágenes internas inducidas por estas plantas han influido en el arte humano desde la edad de piedra.

«African rock art has been interpreted as an expression of altered states of consciousness, most likely induced by mushrooms or similar substances (Lewis-Williams and Dowson 1988, 1993). American Indian rock art has also been inspired by experiences with psychoactive plants» — y la apoya en dos lecturas ajenas que nombra: el arte rupestre africano leído por Lewis-Williams y Dowson como expresión de estados alterados inducidos por hongos, y el arte rupestre indígena americano inspirado por estas plantas según Wellmann.

«The images in the world of Hieronymus Bosch have been interpreted as the product of drug experiences as well. Nineteenth-century art would have been inconceivable without psychoactive plants» — Rätsch extiende la lectura a Hieronymus Bosch y sostiene que el arte del siglo XIX habría sido inconcebible sin las plantas psicoactivas.

«Hashish appears to have played a role in the development of surrealism, the philosophy of which was set forth in the Surrealist Manifesto of 1924: “Surrealism rests upon the belief in the greater reality of certain forms of associations that have been neglected until now, in the omnipotence of dreams, in the non-utilitarian play of thought» — Rätsch atribuye al hachís un papel en el nacimiento del surrealismo y cita el Manifiesto de 1924 sobre la realidad superior de ciertas asociaciones, la omnipotencia del sueño y el juego no utilitario del pensamiento.

«It appears that experimentation with psychoactive substances provided an important impetus to the art scene surrounding fantastic realism. Only a few artists, however, have publicly admitted as much» — Rätsch registra el impulso de estas sustancias en el realismo fantástico y, a la vez, que pocos artistas lo han admitido en público.

«For most artists, it appears that the use of hashish and marijuana does not necessarily affect the creative process but functions instead as a way to focus concentration, in the way that some Indians use hashish in their meditation practice» — y acota el alcance: para la mayoría de los artistas el hachís y la mariguana no afectan al proceso creativo sino que sirven para concentrar, como el hachís en la práctica meditativa de algunos indios.

«The discipline of anthropology provides us with many examples of cultural goods or artifacts that are the direct result of visionary experiences with psychoactive plants and products (Andritsky 1995). The yarn paintings of the Huichol are representations of their experiences with peyote, and the visions induced by ayahuasca have been the subject of numerous ayahuasca paintings» — Rätsch cierra el capítulo con los bienes culturales nacidos directamente de la visión: las pinturas de estambre de los huicholes como representación de sus experiencias con el peyote y la pintura de la ayahuasca.

«Which plants have been included in this encyclopedia? I considered all of those plants that my own research and experience have indicated to be psychoactive as well as those plants that other researchers or the literature have reported to be psychoactive» — el criterio de inclusión que Rätsch declara: las plantas que su propia investigación y experiencia le indican psicoactivas y las que otros investigadores o la literatura reportan como tales.

«Here, we must keep in mind that there are plants for which a majority of subjects have reported no psychoactive effects. There also are plants that have a reputation of being hallucinogenic, but which no one has yet tried. To date, many of these plants have been the object of only cursory investigation. There also are a number of plants that have not yet been botanically determined or identified» — y las reservas que pone a ese criterio: hay plantas de las que la mayoría de los sujetos no reporta efecto, plantas con fama de alucinógenas que nadie ha probado, plantas apenas investigadas y plantas sin determinación botánica.

«The situation is complicated by the fact that the botanical data contained in the ethnographic literature are often incorrect, or at least very imprecise» — Rätsch añade el defecto de la fuente misma: los datos botánicos de la literatura etnográfica suelen ser incorrectos o muy imprecisos.

«One such case is St. John’s wort (Hypericum perforatum L.), which the ancient Germans used as a sedative and in modern phytotherapy is generally regarded as a natural tranquilizer (Becker 1994). St. John’s wort and the oil it yields do indeed exert a psychoactive effect, but only upon patients suffering from mental or emotional afflictions. As a rule, healthy individuals do not notice any psychotropic effects» — el caso dudoso con que lo ejemplifica: el hipérico, que obra sobre pacientes con aflicciones mentales o emocionales y que en personas sanas no produce efecto psicotrópico ni en dosis grandes.

«unique work, it became a true literary sensation, providing the first detailed descriptions of the psychoactive drugs that were known at the time and their effects» — Rätsch fija la primacía del libro de Bibra sobre los narcóticos: primera descripción detallada de las drogas psicoactivas conocidas entonces y de sus efectos.

«Arthur Heffter (1860–1925) took Bibra at his word. He was the first person to test an isolated plant component, in his case mescaline, by trying it out on himself. It is for this reason that we still refer to this method of conducting research through self-experimentation as the Heffter technique» — Rätsch adjudica a Arthur Heffter la primera prueba de un componente vegetal aislado en sí mismo —la mescalina— y de ahí el nombre de técnica de Heffter para la autoexperimentación; el paréntesis con las fechas es del cuerpo del libro y el tramo se releyó entero en el crudo.

«Mantegazza’s classification of inebriants is especially interesting. He divided the “nerve nourishment” into three families: 1. alcoholic nerve nourishment, with the two branches fermented and distilled beverages; 2. alkaloid nerve nourishment, with the branches caffeine and narcotics (among the narcotics, he included opium, hashish, kava-kava, betel, fly agaric, coca, ayahuasca, and tobacco); and 3. aromatic nerve nourishment» — la clasificación de los embriagantes que Rätsch destaca en Paolo Mantegazza: tres familias de alimento nervioso —alcohólico, alcaloideo con las ramas de la cafeína y los narcóticos, y aromático—; el tramo se corta antes de la enumeración final.

«Richard Evans Schultes (1915–2001), a former professor and former director of the Botanical Museum at Harvard University, is universally regarded as the “father of psychoactive ethnobotany.” His investigations in Mexico and South America have led to the discovery of numerous psychoactive plants» — Rätsch llama a Richard Evans Schultes el padre de la etnobotánica psicoactiva y le adjudica, por sus investigaciones en México y Sudamérica, el descubrimiento de numerosas plantas psicoactivas; el paréntesis con las fechas es del cuerpo del libro y el tramo se releyó entero en el crudo.

«The use of—and the need for—psychoactive plants is very ancient. Some authors have suggested that the roots lie somewhere in the Paleolithic period» — Rätsch remite el uso y la necesidad de estas plantas a la antigüedad y recoge que algunos autores ponen su raíz en el paleolítico.

«Such uncertain cases—to the extent that they are known—have not been included in these monographs» — y la decisión editorial que saca de ahí: los casos inciertos conocidos quedan fuera de las monografías.

«Reflecting our current state of knowledge, I have treated the various psychoactive plants discussed in this book in several different ways. Well-known plants that have been investigated in some detail are examined in a very systematic fashion in the major monographs. Plants that have been little studied or about which very little is known are discussed in informal minor monographs» — Rätsch declara cómo reparte el material según el estado del conocimiento: monografías mayores sistemáticas para las plantas bien estudiadas y monografías menores informales para las poco estudiadas.

«A number of very well-known and well-researched plants that are purported to produce psychoactive effects and are sometimes referred to as “legal highs” are considered in their own small section of informal monographs. This is followed by another section that focuses on a number of psychoactive plants whose botanical identity is unknown» — y los dos tratamientos restantes: una sección propia de monografías informales para los llamados *legal highs* y otra para las plantas psicoactivas de identidad botánica desconocida.

«The most important magical plants of Mexico were first described in the Aztec-language work of Fray Bernardino de Sahagun, the Florentine Codex: 515 Tlapatl (Datura spp.); 516 Nanacatl (Psilocybe spp.); 517 Peyotl (Lophophora williamsii); 518 Toloa (Datura innoxia)» — el pie de figura adjudica la primera descripción de las plantas mágicas más importantes de México al Códice Florentino de Fray Bernardino de Sahagun, y da los nombres nahuas con su correspondencia botánica; el apellido va sin acento tal como lo imprime el troceo. Los numerales 515 a 518 son los de las láminas del códice y la guarda anticosido los lee como llamada de nota: el tramo se releyó entero en el crudo.

«are presented in a section of their own. The section on psychoactive fungi is followed by another that focuses on psychoactive products that are obtained through often intricate procedures and/or from combinations of plants. Finally, there is a short section that examines the psychoactive constituents of plants» — Rätsch cierra el plan del volumen: tras los hongos, una sección de productos psicoactivos obtenidos por procedimientos intrincados o por combinación de plantas, y una corta sobre los constituyentes psicoactivos; el tramo abre en la plana 46 continuando la frase de la 43.

«Most plants have been described in the botanical literature under more than one name. Under this heading may be found these nonvalid botanical names (including misspellings in the literature» — la rúbrica Synonyms se declara receptáculo de los nombres botánicos no válidos, con las malas grafías de la literatura incluidas.

«Here may be found the most important information about the history of the plant, including its discovery, botanical description, and historical uses» — la rúbrica History se declara como el sitio del descubrimiento de la planta, su descripción botánica y sus usos históricos: es una de las cuatro que esta ficha recorre en cada monografía.

«Here may be found information for preparing and dosing the various raw drugs. While every attempt has been made to ensure that this information is as accurate as possible, it must be explicitly stated that this information should not be regarded as definitive. Identical dosages can produce very different responses in different individuals» — Rätsch acota expresamente la rúbrica de preparación y dosis: la información no ha de tenerse por definitiva, porque dosis idénticas dan respuestas muy distintas según la persona.

«Information concerning the traditional uses of the plant in shamanic rituals, priestly ceremonies, domestic festivals, and other experiences may be found here» — la rúbrica Ritual Use se declara como el sitio de los usos tradicionales en rituales chamánicos, ceremonias sacerdotales y fiestas domésticas: es la rúbrica que esta ficha recorre con más atención.

«Many psychoactive plants are also of medicinal and therapeutic significance. Sometimes a plant’s medicinal applications are much more important than its psychoactive uses. For these reasons, as much information as possible is provided about the medicinal uses of the plant under discussion. This includes ethnomedical, folk medical, biomedical, and homeopathic uses» — Rätsch advierte que en muchas plantas el uso medicinal pesa más que el psicoactivo, y por eso la rúbrica recoge usos etnomédicos, de medicina popular, biomédicos y homeopáticos.

«Here, the effect or the pattern of effects of the plant is described. Once again, it should be kept in mind that different individuals can have very different experiences with the same plant» — la rúbrica Effects se declara descripción del efecto o del patrón de efectos, con la reserva repetida de que personas distintas viven la misma planta de modo muy distinto.

«Terms in bold print within the running text refer to other entries in this book. Where a question mark has been inserted in a table column, it indicates that the missing information poses an important question for further research» — dos convenciones tipográficas que el libro declara y que el troceo pierde: la negrita del texto corrido remite a otra entrada, y el signo de interrogación en una columna de tabla señala un dato que falta y que el libro tiene por pregunta abierta para la investigación.

«Some of the monographs treat not just one species but, rather, a number of species of the same genus. This is done either because the traditional users make no distinction between the different species» — Rätsch declara cuándo una monografía trata varias especies del mismo género: cuando los usuarios tradicionales no las distinguen; la razón restante sigue en la plana 47.

«because the species all contain the same active constituents and/or are sources of the same products» — la segunda razón para agrupar especies en una sola monografía: que compartan constituyentes activos o sean fuente de los mismos productos; el tramo abre en la plana 47 continuando la frase de la 46.

«The following genera are discussed in the major monographs: Acacia, Aconitum, Acorus, Agave, Alstonia, Anadenanthera, Areca, Argemone, Argyreia, Ariocarpus, Artemisia, Arundo, Atropa» — la cabecera del catálogo con que se abren las monografías mayores, y la primera letra de su lista de géneros; el orden es alfabético por nombre botánico y la lista entera llega hasta *Withania* en la plana 52.

«Numerous acacias have played a role in ethnopharmacology and medical history. Some species (such as gum arabic) are used as sources for an excipient and incense, some are used as beer additives, and others provide DMT and other tryptamines» — el marco de la monografía de *Acacia*: el pie de figura declara el triple papel del género en la etnofarmacología —goma arábiga como excipiente e incienso, aditivo de cerveza, y fuente de DMT y otras triptaminas.

«Many Australian acacias contain high concentrations of N,N-DMT and are thus suitable for the production of psychedelic ayahuasca analogs. Although our studies of Australia’s psychoactive flora have only just begun, they already have demonstrated great promise» — y Rätsch declara abierto el frente australiano: muchas acacias de allí sirven para análogos de la ayahuasca y el estudio de esa flora, dice, apenas ha comenzado.

«The genus Acacia encompasses 750 to 800 species (other sources list only approximately 130) found in tropical and subtropical regions throughout the world (Harnischfeger 1992). Most are mediumsized trees, the leaves of which are usually pinnate but sometimes edentate. The flowers appear in clusters and produce podlike fruits» — la descripción general del género con su discrepancia de fuentes dentro: entre 750 y 800 especies, aunque otras fuentes listan solo unas 130.

«The root of this Mexican acacia provides an additive to pulque (a fermented beverage made from Agave spp.) that may have psychoactive effects. The Aztecs called this small tree ocpatl, “pulque drug”; in contemporary Mexican Spanish, it is known as palo de pulque, “tree of pulque» — el caso de *Acacia angustifolia*: raíz aditiva del pulque, llamada por los aztecas ocpatl, droga del pulque, y en español mexicano palo de pulque; los nombres van tal como los imprime el libro.

«In West Africa, the bark is traditionally used as a psychoactive additive to a type of beer known as dolo15 that is brewed from certain cereal grains (Sorghum spp., Pennisetum spp.), sometimes with the addition of honey» — el uso tradicional de *Acacia campylacantha* en África occidental: corteza como aditivo psicoactivo de la cerveza de cereal llamada dolo; la llamada de nota que el troceo pega al nombre queda dentro del verbatim.

«Dolo is consumed as a libation during offering ceremonies and other rites as well as in daily life. Its properties are held in high regard: “Dolo imparts strength and courage and brings a joy of living» — y el testimonio que Rätsch cita de Voltz sobre el sitio ritual y cotidiano del dolo: libación en las ceremonias de ofrenda, y bebida que da fuerza y valor.

«Catechu is an ancient Indian drug and is still officinal in Germany as well (DAB6).* In Vedic times, the bark of Acacia catechu was known as somatvak and was associated with soma» — el dato que a Rätsch le importa del catechu: droga india antigua, aún oficinal en Alemania, y corteza que en época védica se llamaba somatvak y se asociaba al soma.

«Catechu has no psychoactive effects of its own but is simply an important component of a psychoactive product; however, it may have synergistic effects in this» — y la reserva con que cierra: el catechu no tiene efecto psicoactivo propio, solo es componente importante de un producto psicoactivo, aunque quizá con efecto sinérgico.

«The large binate thorns of this striking acacia are hollow and provide a home for ants. In Mayan, the small tree (also known as akunte’) is called subin, “dragon.” It plays an important role in the magical preparation of the ritual drink known as balche’. It is possible that parts of the tree were formerly added to the drink» — el uso maya de *Acacia cornigera*: llamada subin, dragón, y con papel en la preparación mágica de la bebida ritual balché, aunque Rätsch deja en conjetura que partes del árbol se añadieran antes a la bebida.

«In Canaan the prime oracular tree was the acacia—the ‘burning bush.’ . . . The acacia is still a sacred tree in Arabia Deserta and anyone who even breaks off a twig is expected to die within the year» — la cita de Robert Graves que el libro coloca junto a la monografía: la acacia como árbol oracular de Canaán y como la zarza ardiente, aún sagrada en la Arabia Deserta; los puntos suspensivos son del recorte del libro.

«Interestingly, the Sanskrit name of this plant is somavalkah, which associates it with the divine drink soma» — el segundo hilo védico de la monografía: el nombre sánscrito somavalkah de *Acacia polyantha* asocia la planta a la bebida divina soma, y el malayalam somarayattoli lo sugiere también.

«According to the reports of some closet shamans, the bark and leaves of many species of wattles (as acacias are known in Australia) clearly contain N,N-DMT. It is said that these can be used to make smokable extracts that produce definite tryptamine hallucinations» — Rätsch nombra su fuente para las acacias australianas: los reportes de los *closet shamans*, según los cuales corteza y hojas dan extractos fumables con alucinaciones triptamínicas declaradas.

«The Aborigines burned some species of Acacia to ashes, which they then added to pituri» — y el uso aborigen que registra: quemar algunas especies de acacia hasta la ceniza para añadirla al pituri.

«Some acacias (such as gum arabic) have been used since ancient times as excipients for compound medicines and incense. Some species find use as additives in psychoactive products (betel quid, beer, balche» — Rätsch ordena los usos del género: excipiente e incienso desde la antigüedad y aditivo de productos psicoactivos —betel, cerveza, balché, pituri—; el tramo se corta en el límite de plana y sigue en la 55 con los análogos de la ayahuasca.

«The man who is struck by an arrow that has been smeared with the seeds of shalmali [Bombax ceiba L.] and vidari [Ipomoea digitata L.], together with mula [Raphanus sativa L.] and vatsanabha [Aconitum ferox] and the blood of the muskrat, will bite ten people, each of which will then bite ten other people in turn» — el epígrafe con que se abre la monografía del acónito azul: la receta de veneno de flecha del Kautiliya Arthashastra, con los nombres sánscritos y sus equivalencias botánicas tal como los imprime el libro.

«Vedic and later Sanskrit texts indicate that the root of this Aconitum species was already being used as an arrow poison in ancient India in early times (cf. Aconitum spp.). In contrast to their original use, these poison arrows were used not in the hunt but in warfare» — Rätsch data por los textos védicos y sánscritos el uso de la raíz como veneno de flecha en la India antigua, y marca el cambio de destino: para la guerra, no para la caza.

«In the Shushrutasamhita, the Ayurvedic writings of Shushruta (ca. 300 C.E.), Aconitum ferox is referred to as» — y localiza el nombre vatsanabha en el Shushrutasamhita ayurvédico, con la advertencia de que hoy se vende con ese nombre otra especie; el tramo se corta antes de las comillas de la fuente.

«In the tenth century, the Persian physician Alheroo described the plant under the name bish. Europeans first became aware of Aconitum ferox in the nineteenth century during journeys to Nepal» — la cadena de noticia europea que Rätsch traza: el médico persa que nombra en el siglo X y el conocimiento europeo de la planta solo en el XIX por los viajes a Nepal; el nombre va tal como lo imprime el troceo.

«For tantric and psychoactive purposes, of course, the root is not detoxified. It is simply dried, minced, and consumed in smoking mixtures, normally with ganja» — la preparación psicoactiva que Rätsch distingue de la ayurvédica: para el fin tántrico la raíz no se desintoxica, se seca, se pica y se fuma, de ordinario con ganja.

«Among Indian Tantrists is an extreme sect known as the Aghoris. They follow the “left-handed” path, which regards sexuality and drugs as important methods for expanding consciousness» — el uso ritual que Rätsch adjudica a los aghoris: secta tántrica de la vía de la mano izquierda que tiene por métodos de expansión de la consciencia la sexualidad y las drogas.

«The Aghoris ingest plants associated with Shiva (hemp, Datura metel, opium from Papaver somniferum) and poisons (cobra venom, mercury, arsenic) so that they may experience the divine consciousness of their master» — y el fin que les atribuye: ingerir las plantas de Shiva y los venenos para experimentar la consciencia divina de su maestro.

«Shiva is the Hindu god of inebriants and poisons. Myths relate how he personally tried all poisons at the beginning of the world. This caused him to turn blue, as blue as the flowers of blue aconite» — Rätsch nombra a Shiva dios hindú de los embriagantes y los venenos, y liga el mito de que los probó todos al principio del mundo con el color de la flor del acónito azul.

«Similarly, a Tantrist can assimilate himself with the god by ingesting every poison and surviving (according to the motto “That which does not kill me only makes me stronger» — la homologación que Rätsch propone: el tántrico se asimila al dios ingiriendo todo veneno y sobreviviendo, bajo el lema que el propio libro cita.

«In another version of this story, the beating of the primeval ocean, or the churning of the milk ocean (samudramathana), not only brought forth the sacred cow but also caused the essences of all poisons to swirl up» — y consigna la versión divergente sin armonizarla: el batido del océano de leche que saca la vaca sagrada y hace subir las esencias de todos los venenos.

«Shiva took the poison in his hand and drank it. His wife Parvati became afraid for him and squeezed her husband’s throat, which caused the poison to remain there and turned him completely blue» — el desenlace del mito según Rätsch: Parvati aprieta la garganta de Shiva, el veneno se queda ahí y lo vuelve azul, de donde el nombre Nilakanta.

«But a little of the poison slipped out of his hand and onto the Himalayas. Today, it still flows in the veins of blue aconite and other poisonous plants» — y el cierre etiológico: la gota que se le escapa cae sobre el Himalaya y fluye todavía por las venas del acónito azul.

«It is possible that the plant spirit of Aconitum ferox has the same appearance» — Rätsch propone en condicional que el espíritu de la planta tenga la figura con que el Saradatilaka Tantra describe a Shiva garganta azul.

«In Tibetan medicine, Aconitum ferox is also known as sman-chen, “great medicine”; the crushed roots, mixed with bezoar stones, are used as a universal antidote» — el uso tibetano: la gran medicina, con las raíces machacadas y piedras bezoares por antídoto universal; la transliteración va tal como la imprime el libro.

«The great medicine is also esteemed as a remedy for demonic possession» — y el uso que a Rätsch le interesa para el dominio: remedio contra la posesión demoníaca.

«The effects of a tantric smoking mixture containing aconite are said to be extreme. Even experienced Tantrists emphatically warn against its use» — el límite que Rätsch pone al uso: incluso los tántricos experimentados advierten enfáticamente contra la mezcla fumable con acónito.

«In ancient times, monks-hood, or aconite, was a feared poison associated with the legendary Colchian “witch” Medea (who was probably a Scythian shaman; cf. Cannabis ruderalis) and the gloomy underworld» — Rätsch asocia el acónito antiguo con la llamada bruja de Cólquide Medea —a quien dice probablemente chamana escita— y con el inframundo.

«the plant was said to have sprung from the slaver of Cerberus, the hound of hell, and both plants were known as apollinaris (“Apollo» — la etiología antigua que registra: el acónito y el beleño nacidos de la baba de Cerbero, y ambos llamados apollinaris; el tramo se corta antes del apóstrofo de la fuente.

«Another legend states that monkshood rose from the blood of Prometheus, which dripped onto the rocks whenever the eagle came and ate his liver» — y la leyenda alternativa, consignada sin arbitrar: el acónito brotado de la sangre de Prometeo goteada sobre las rocas.

«Monkshood was an important “battle drug” in Roman politics. Emperor Claudius died in 54 C.E. from aconite poisoning» — Rätsch llama al acónito droga de batalla de la política romana y data en él la muerte del emperador Claudio.

«The ancient Germans may have used the plant in their magical rituals, such as when the Berserkers were transformed into wolves» — la conjetura germánica, dicha en condicional: uso mágico de la planta en la transformación de los bersérkir en lobos.

«Aconitum ferox is the most poisonous plant of the Himalayas and can very easily prove lethal! As little as 3 to 6 mg of aconitine, corresponding to only a few grams of dried or even fresh plant» — la advertencia con que Rätsch cierra la dosis: es la planta más venenosa del Himalaya y unos miligramos de aconitina bastan para matar a un adulto; el tramo se corta en el límite de plana y la frase termina en la 66.

«In the fourteenth century, Konrad von Megenberg described monks-hood and its poisonous effects in his Buch der Natur [Book of Nature]. Monkshood was and still is regarded as the most poisonous and most dangerous plant in Europe» — Rätsch cierra la historia europea del acónito con la descripción de Konrad von Megenberg en el Buch der Natur y con el juicio corriente: la planta más venenosa y peligrosa de Europa.

«The roots were purportedly used in the manufacture of witches’ ointments. They were also added to wine (cf. Vitis vinifera), which was drunk both for healing and for inebriating purposes» — el uso que Rätsch consigna en condicional: raíces en los ungüentos de brujas y añadidas al vino, bebido para curar y para embriagarse; el tramo se corta antes del apóstrofo de la fuente.

«In ancient times, monkshood was definitely used as a ritual poison» — la afirmación con que Rätsch abre el uso ritual del acónito en la antigüedad, antes de citar las Metamorfosis de Ovidio.

«Bent on his destruction, Medea mixed in a cup a poison, which she had brought long ago from the Scythian shores. This poison, they say, came from the mouth of the Echidnean dog. There is a cavern with a dark, yawning throat and a way down-sloping, along which Hercules, the hero of Tiryns, dragged Cerberus with chains wrought of adamant, while the great dog fought and turned away his eyes from the bright light of day. He, goaded on to mad frenzy, filled all the air with his threefold howls, and sprinkled the green fields with white foam. Men think that these flecks of foam grew; and, drawing nourishment from the rich, rank soil, they gained power to hurt; and because they spring up and flourish on hard rocks, the country folk call them aconite» — el pasaje de Ovidio que Rätsch reproduce como testimonio del veneno ritual: Medea, el veneno traído de las costas escitas y la espuma de Cérbero de la que brota el acónito; tramo largo de más de 700 caracteres, cita que el libro reproduce como unidad, extraído con la guarda anticosido apagada y cotejado contiguo contra el crudo por cf.auditar.

«Monkshood was presumably also used in other» — Rätsch extiende en conjetura el uso a otras preparaciones escitas y a rituales chamánico-mágicos; el tramo cruza el límite de plana y la frase termina en la 74 con la transformación en lobo.

«It may already have been used in antiquity to prepare flying ointments. Since the early modern period, monkshood has been one of the chief ingredients in witches» — y data el uso en ungüentos: posible ya en la antigüedad para los de vuelo, y desde la primera modernidad entre los ingredientes principales de los ungüentos de brujas; el tramo se corta antes del apóstrofo.

«Many of its folk names suggest that the plant was used for both ritual and psychoactive purposes: hut des Jupiter (hat of Jupiter), venuswagen (Venus’s wagon), wolfskraut (wolf’s plant), hut des trolls (hat of the troll), Odins hut (Odin’s hat), hex (witch), et cetera» — el argumento de Rätsch por los nombres populares: sombrero de Júpiter, carro de Venus, planta del lobo, sombrero del trol, sombrero de Odín y bruja, con las grafías alemanas tal como las imprime el libro.

«In Christian art, the plant appears in paintings as a symbol of death (e.g., in Maria Lactans by the Master of Flémalle and in The Lamentation of Christ) (Gallwitz 1992, 113f.). In Europe, the plant was used as a symbol of the venomousness of nature» — el rastro iconográfico que Rätsch levanta: el acónito como símbolo de la muerte en la pintura cristiana y como emblema de lo venenoso de la naturaleza en Europa.

«The founder of the order, Cardinal Napellus, transformed himself into the first monkshood plant after his death. All of the plants were said to be derived from him» — el argumento del relato de Meyrink que Rätsch resume: el cardenal Napellus se transforma tras su muerte en la primera planta de acónito, de la que vendrían todas.

«The symbolic meaning of this strange ceremony of blood christening is that the person should magically plant his soul in the garden of paradise and nourish its growth with the blood of his desires» — la lectura que Rätsch cita del propio relato para el bautismo de sangre de las plantas: plantar mágicamente el alma en el jardín del paraíso y nutrir su crecimiento con la sangre de los deseos.

«When the flowers withered in the fall, we collected their poisonous seeds, which resemble small human hearts. In the secret tradition of the blue brothers, these represent the ‘mustard seed’ of faith, of which it is written that he who has it can move mountains, and we ate of these. Just as their terrible poison changes the heart and brings a person into a condition between life and death, so shall the essence of faith transform our blood—into miraculous power in the hours between the gnawing pain of death and ecstatic rapture» — y el uso psicoactivo dentro de la ficción: las semillas con forma de corazón humano tenidas por el grano de mostaza de la fe, comidas para que el veneno transforme la sangre entre el dolor de la muerte y el arrobo.

«The story is reminiscent of the tantric use of» — Rätsch enlaza el relato de Meyrink con el uso tántrico del acónito azul que había descrito en la monografía anterior.

«Because it has long been feared as a potent poison, monkshood never attained any great significance in folk medicine» — el saldo medicinal según Rätsch: por temido como veneno, el acónito nunca alcanzó peso en la medicina popular.

«Aconitine is also present in all the other parts of the plant, although typically in only low concentrations. Aconitine has even been detected in the nectaries. As a result, it may be possible to produce a psychoactive honey from the plant» — la conjetura con que Rätsch cierra los constituyentes: detectada aconitina en los nectarios, cabría producir una miel psicoactiva.

«Monkshood is associated with the Nordic god Odin and the goddess Hel. Earlier tales referred to it as ‘Odin’s helm,’ [and] it was supposedly used as an ingredient in ‘lycoanthropic transformation ointments» — la voz del Magister Botanicus que el libro cita en recuadro: el acónito asociado al dios nórdico Odín y a la diosa Hel, y llamado yelmo de Odín, con la grafía tal como la imprime el troceo.

«When applied to the skin, monkshood is said to provoke sensations of tingling and hallucinations. Because of this, monkshood was purported to have been an important ingredient in witches’ ointments. It is said to produce the sensation of wearing a garment made of fur or feathers» — el efecto que sostiene la atribución a los ungüentos de brujas: hormigueo y alucinaciones por vía cutánea, y la sensación de llevar una vestidura de piel o de plumas.

«Monkshood has a strong stimulating or inebriating effect upon horses. They become “foamy,” that is, fiery; for this reason, horse dealers at one time fed their animals monkshood before offering them for sale» — el uso veterinario que Rätsch registra: efecto estimulante o embriagante sobre los caballos, que los tratantes daban a sus animales antes de venderlos.

«It is established that of all poisons the quickest to act is aconite, and that death occurs on the same day if the genitals of a female creature are but touched by it. . . . Fable has it that aconite sprang out of the foam of the dog Cerberus when Hercules dragged him from the underworld, and that this is why it grows around Heraclea in Pontus, where is pointed out the entrance to the underworld used by Hercules. Yet even aconite the ancients have turned to the benefit of human health, by finding out by experience that administered in warm wine it neutralizes the sting of scorpions. It is its nature to kill a human being unless in that being it finds something else to destroy. Against this alone it struggles, regarding it as more pressing than the find. What a marvel! Although by themselves both are deadly, yet the two poisons in a human being perish together so that the human survives» — el pasaje de Plinio que el libro reproduce en recuadro: la fábula del acónito nacido de la espuma de Cérbero en Heraclea del Ponto, y la paradoja de que el veneno solo mata si no encuentra en el cuerpo otra cosa que destruir; tramo largo de más de 700 caracteres, cita que el libro reproduce como unidad, extraído con la guarda anticosido apagada y cotejado contiguo contra el crudo por cf.auditar.

«an author who was experienced in alchemy and the occult and who wrote about numerous psychoactive plants (cf. Cannabis indica, Lophophora williamsii, Veratrum album, Amanita muscaria), composed a very insightful story about» — Rätsch presenta a Gustav Meyrink como autor versado en alquimia y ocultismo que escribió sobre numerosas plantas psicoactivas; el tramo se corta antes del título del relato.

«The longer the time that the alkaloid and the drug are in contact with the mouth, the more pronounced will the local, sensory nerve effects in the mouth and throat be observable following acute aconitine or aconite poisoning. The tingling and burning may be followed by a loss of speech and a sensation of paralysis in the tongue and in the area around the mouth, so that speaking becomes difficult. When absorbed, feelings of tingling and formication [the sensation of being crawled upon by insects] in the fingers, hands, and feet very characteristically soon appear, sometimes with twitching of the face, followed by paralysis of the facial muscles. The person who has been poisoned is also disturbed by an unbearable sensation of coldness (the feeling of ‘ice water in the veins’) with hypothermia, caused by stimulation of the cold centers. This is followed by numbness, symptoms of paralysis in the arms and legs, and difficulties in breathing. Seeing green, dizziness, buzzing in the ears, and trigeminal pain have also been observed. Nausea and vomiting can occur, but can also be absent, as can diarrhea and increased urination. Respiratory difficulties and especially peculiar heart disturbances . . . can result in loss of consciousness and death due to heart or breathing problems. But consciousness may also be retained until death» — la descripción del envenenamiento por acónito que Rätsch cita de Fühner y llama poco tentadora: hormigueo y ardor, pérdida del habla, la sensación de agua helada en las venas, parálisis y dificultad respiratoria, con la consciencia a veces retenida hasta la muerte; tramo largo de más de 700 caracteres, cita que el libro reproduce como unidad, extraído con la guarda anticosido apagada y cotejado contiguo contra el crudo por cf.auditar.

«Many Aconite species have worldwide ethno-botanical significance as medicines, psychoactive products, and arrow poisons» — el marco de la monografía del género *Aconitum*: triple significado etnobotánico mundial como medicina, como producto psicoactivo y como veneno de flecha.

«In traditional Chinese medicine, aconite roots are characterized as stimulating, cardiotonic, anal-gesic, narcotic, and locally anesthetic. They stimulate the yang energy and are used for all yang ailments» — el uso chino que Rätsch consigna: raíces de acónito por estimulantes, cardiotónicas, analgésicas, narcóticas y anestésicas locales, que estimulan la energía yang.

«Pharmacological studies in China have demonstrated that this drug stimulates the body’s own immune system. However, it has not yet been possible to isolate from the root a substance that might be responsible for these effects. It is possible that there may be a synergistic effect of several or even all of the active constituents» — Rätsch registra el estímulo inmunitario medido en China y a la vez el límite del hallazgo: no se ha aislado la sustancia responsable, y cabe un efecto sinérgico de varios constituyentes o de todos.

«Aconite (Aconitum napellus) is said to have been an important ingredient in witches’ ointments. Aconitum ferox, a species found throughout the Himalayas, is a component of tantric smoking mixtures with drastic effects. Some Chinese species, the identity of which are unfortunately uncertain, but whose root drugs are known by the name “fu tzu” (including Aconitum carmichaelii), provided one of the main ingredients in han-shih powder» — Rätsch reúne los tres productos psicoactivos del género: el ungüento de brujas europeo, la mezcla fumable tántrica y el polvo chino han-shih, con la identidad botánica de las especies chinas declarada incierta.

«Many Taoist elixirs of immortality contain large quantities of aconite, along with ominous fungi (Psilocybe spp.), arsenic, mercury, hemp (Cannabis sativa), and Digitalis spp» — el dato daoísta que Rätsch trae de Cooper: muchos elixires taoístas de inmortalidad llevan acónito en cantidad, junto con hongos, arsénico, mercurio, cáñamo y digital.

«Aconitum was used as an arrow poison in ancient Europe and in Asia» — el tercer uso del género según Rätsch: veneno de flecha en la Europa antigua y en Asia; el tramo se corta en el límite de plana y la frase sigue en la 81 con Norteamérica.

«The harvesting of the roots is often accompanied by magical rites. The arrow poisons are usually produced using other substances as well» — Rätsch consigna el marco ritual de la cosecha: recoger las raíces suele ir acompañado de ritos mágicos.

«The manner in which the Ainu tested whether the poison was usable and potent enough provides an interesting fact for explaining the effects of Aconitum in witches» — y Rätsch usa la prueba ainu de potencia del veneno —un corte en la eminencia tenar con el tubérculo fresco encima— como dato para explicar el efecto del acónito en los ungüentos de brujas; el tramo se corta antes del apóstrofo.

«In China, the roots of feng-feng, or the plant Siler divaricatum (Turcz.) Benth. et Hook. f. (Umbelliferae), were once used as an antidote for aconite poisoning. But it has been said that the root of this plant “produces madness» — el antídoto chino que Rätsch registra de Schultes y Hofmann, con la contradicción dentro: la raíz que servía contra el envenenamiento por acónito se decía a la vez productora de locura.

«Although it has sometimes been claimed that Siler divaricatum is psychoactive, there is no evidence supporting this assertion» — y la negativa con que Rätsch cierra el caso: no hay prueba que sostenga la psicoactividad que a veces se le atribuye.

«Arrows are prepared with the juice of aconite. They very quickly kill that which they hit» — el recuadro con que el libro cierra la monografía: la frase de Avicena sobre las flechas untadas con zumo de acónito, referida al Canon.

«The history of calamus is still largely unknown. It is more than questionable whether the akoron of Dioscorides was actually calamus» — Rätsch declara desconocida la historia del cálamo y pone en duda que el akoron de Dioscórides fuera esta planta.

«Whether calamus was used as an aphrodisiac in ancient times, as it is in modern Egypt, cannot be determined with certainty. But if the ancient names do in fact refer to calamus, then it is likely that it was used for this purpose» — y deja en condicional el uso afrodisíaco antiguo, que solo se sigue si los nombres antiguos se refieren de hecho al cálamo.

«Remnants of Acorus calamus were reportedly found in the tomb of Tutankhamun» — el dato arqueológico que Rätsch recoge de Motley: restos de cálamo hallados, según se reporta, en la tumba de Tutankamón.

«It has also been suggested that calamus was an ingredient in some witches» — y la sugerencia que consigna sin hacerla suya: el cálamo como ingrediente de algunos ungüentos de brujas; el tramo se corta antes del apóstrofo.

«In Europe, sweet flag was well known during the late Middle Ages and has been esteemed as a medicinal plant since that time» — Rätsch data el conocimiento europeo del cálamo en la baja Edad Media y su estima como planta medicinal desde entonces.

«In any case, North American Indians became aware of its hallucinogenic effects as a result of ethnobotanical research (Motley 1994). The notion that calamus can have hallucinogenic effects was first published by Hoffer and Osmond» — y data la noticia moderna de su efecto alucinógeno: llegó por la investigación etnobotánica entre los indios norteamericanos y la publicaron primero Hoffer y Osmond.

«A Penobscot Indian had the following dream: A muskrat told him that it was a root and where it could be found. When the man awoke, he went in search of the muskrat root and made it into a medicine. In this way, he healed his people of the plague» — el testimonio de Frank G. Speck que el libro coloca junto a la monografía del cálamo: el sueño en que una rata almizclera revela al penobscot la raíz y su sitio, y de ahí la medicina contra la peste.

«In ancient China, calamus was clearly used in shamanism» — la afirmación de Rätsch sobre el uso ritual chino del cálamo, acotada de inmediato por la duda de si se trataba de la especie menor.

«Those who wish to see spirits use the raw ma fruits [Cannabis sativa], ch’ang-p’u [Acorus gramineus], and k’uei-chiu [Podophyllum pleianthum Hance, syn. Dysosma pleiantha (Hance) Woods.; cf. Podophyllum peltatum], ground in equal amounts, and make these into pills the size of a marble and take these every day when they look into the sun. After a hundred days, they will be able to see spirits» — la receta de Mêng Shen que Rätsch reproduce: cáñamo, ch'ang-p'u y k'uei-chiu en partes iguales, en píldoras del tamaño de una canica, tomadas cien días mirando al sol para llegar a ver espíritus.

«In China, calamus is one of the oldest auspicious plants. It is said that the Taoist An-ch’isheng used wild calamus as an elixir, which caused him to become not only immortal, but invisible as well» — el dato daoísta de la monografía: el taoísta An-ch'isheng habría usado cálamo silvestre como elixir que lo hizo inmortal y además invisible; el nombre va tal como lo imprime el troceo.

«Unfortunately, the methods of preparing and ingesting calamus for this purpose have not been passed down to us» — y Rätsch declara el hueco en la transmisión: no se han conservado los métodos de preparar e ingerir el cálamo con ese fin.

«Bundles of calamus leaves, together with Artemisia vulgaris (cf. Artemisia spp.), are still used as talismans during the dragon boat festival, and they are hung over the house door to protect against evil spirits» — el uso apotropaico chino que sigue vivo: haces de hojas de cálamo con artemisa como talismán en la fiesta de los botes del dragón y colgados sobre la puerta contra los espíritus malos.

«In Kashmir, the root is regarded as auspicious and should be the first thing a person looks upon on the morning of the traditional new year’s festival (navroj) (Shah 1982, 299*). Indian snake charmers use pieces of calamus root to charm cobras» — dos usos indios que Rätsch consigna: la raíz como primera cosa que mirar en la mañana del año nuevo en Cachemira, y el cálamo de los encantadores de serpientes.

«Many North American Indians regard calamus as a panacea and tonic. The Iroquois used the root to detect witches and evil magic» — el uso norteamericano: panacea y tónico, y entre los iroqueses raíz para detectar brujas y magia mala.

«Many Indians of the Northeast woodlands believe that the root has apotropaic effects and consequently hang it in the house or sew it into their children’s clothing. The “spirits of the night” (nightmares) then stay away» — y el uso apotropaico de los bosques del noreste: raíz colgada en la casa o cosida en la ropa de los niños para que los espíritus de la noche se mantengan lejos.

«The Winnebago, Ponca, Pawnee, Omaha, and Dakota make garlands of calamus grass that are used in secret rites (wakan wacipi, “sacred dance» — el uso en ritos secretos que Rätsch registra: guirnaldas de cálamo de los winnebago, ponca, pawnee, omaha y dakota, con el nombre lakota de la danza sagrada tal como lo imprime el libro.

«The Cheyenne use calamus roots as incense in their sweat lodge ceremonies. They simply toss pieces of the root onto the glowing stones in the sweat lodge. The smoke is said to be cleansing and» — el uso cheyene: raíz de cálamo como incienso arrojado sobre las piedras al rojo en la ceremonia de la cabaña de sudar, con humo tenido por purificador; el tramo se corta en el límite de plana.

«The Cree reputedly used calamus roots as a hallucinogen. It is said that they chewed a piece of root as long as a finger. The accuracy of this information, which has been repeated often in the psychedelic literature, is somewhat in doubt» — Rätsch pone en duda el dato más repetido de la literatura psicodélica sobre el cálamo: el uso cree como alucinógeno, mascando un trozo de raíz del largo de un dedo.

«as all experiments with American calamus— even those involving very high dosages (up to 300 g of rhizomes!)— have been completely unsuccessful. If the Cree did indeed possess a hallucinogen, it probably was not Acorus calamus» — y da la razón de la duda con su consecuencia: todos los experimentos con cálamo americano, incluso a dosis altísimas, fracasaron, de modo que si los cree tenían un alucinógeno probablemente no era esta planta.

«Amazingly, several evangelical churches in Lutheran parishes burned calamus in the 1950s as an incense during Easter» — el dato europeo moderno que Rätsch registra con extrañeza: iglesias evangélicas de parroquias luteranas quemando cálamo como incienso en la Pascua de los años cincuenta.

«A section of naturalist North American poet Walt Whitman’s (1819– 1892) renowned collection of poems Leaves of Grass bears the heading “Calamus.” It is possible that the poems contained within this section were inspired by calamus or its effects» — el artefacto que Rätsch propone en condicional: la sección Calamus de Leaves of Grass de Walt Whitman, quizá inspirada por la planta o por sus efectos.

«In Ayurvedic and Tibetan medicine, calamus is an important psychoactive plant: “Vacha literally means ‘speak’ and describes the power of the word, the intelligence, or the self-expression that is stimulated by this medicinal plant» — la lectura que Rätsch cita de Lad y Frawley: vacha quiere decir hablar, y nombra el poder de la palabra y la autoexpresión que la planta estimula.

«It is for this reason that calamus root, when used as incense, has the effect of illuminating and strengthening the mind. It is often found in Tibetan incense mixtures that are burned to strengthen the nerves and to increase meditative concentration. It is also regarded as a rejuvenation tonic and as “nourishment for the Kundalini serpent» — y el uso tibetano que de ahí se sigue: cálamo en las mezclas de incienso para fortalecer los nervios y aumentar la concentración meditativa, tenido además por tónico de rejuvenecimiento.

«The assertion that calamus is hallucinogenic appears to be due more to wishful thinking than to actual experiences with the plant. Even with very high dosages (up to 100 g of decocted, dried rhizomes), I have been unable to detect any type of hallucinogenic, psychedelic, entheogenic, or other visionary effect» — la negativa que Rätsch declara en primera persona y con su autoexperimentación por base: ni con cien gramos de rizoma decocido detectó efecto alucinógeno, psicodélico, enteogénico ni visionario alguno.

«Instead, the effects of asarone appear to be more sedative in nature. I also am unaware of any experimentally inclined psycho-nauts who have been able to report successful experiments with calamus. In my opinion, calamus can be stricken from the list of so-called legal highs, at least until new evidence of its psychoactivity appears» — y saca la consecuencia editorial con su plazo dentro: el cálamo puede borrarse de la lista de los llamados *legal highs* mientras no aparezca evidencia nueva.

«There are approximately 136 species in the genus Agave in Mexico and neighboring regions (Gentry 1982). Many of the larger species are ethnobotanically and ethnopharmacologically significant» — el marco de la monografía del *Agave*: unas ciento treinta y seis especies en México y regiones vecinas, muchas de ellas de peso etnobotánico y etnofarmacológico.

«Roasted remains of agaves, dated to approximately 8,000 years ago, have been recovered from the caves of Tehuacán (Mexico) (Wolters 1996, 28*). In prehistoric times, agave was already playing an important role as a source of food, inebriants, and materials in Mexico and the American Southwest» — Rätsch data el uso del agave en restos asados de las cuevas de Tehuacán de hace unos ocho mil años, y le da triple papel prehistórico: alimento, embriagante y materia prima.

«The Mexican agaves were first described around 1577 by Francisco Hernández. The Conquistadors also remarked about the use of the fermented juice» — y fija la primera descripción de los agaves mexicanos en Francisco Hernández hacia 1577, con los conquistadores registrando el uso del zumo fermentado.

«The name mescal has created a great deal of terminological confusion about both psycho-active plants and their products» — Rätsch abre un recuadro propio para deshacer la confusión terminológica que el nombre mescal ha creado entre plantas psicoactivas y productos.

«Even the peyote cactus (Lophophora williamsii) is called mescal or mescalito, while the buttons that are sliced from this cactus are called mescal buttons or mescal heads. In addition, the seeds of Sophora secundiflora are known as mescal beans» — y despliega la confusión: el peyote llamado mescal o mescalito, sus botones llamados mescal buttons, y las semillas de *Sophora secundiflora* llamadas mescal beans.

«With so many associations with the word mescal, it is not surprising that some people are firmly convinced that mescal spirits contain mescaline and are able to induce psychedelic effects» — el saldo de esa confusión según Rätsch: que haya quien esté firmemente convencido de que el aguardiente de mescal contiene mescalina y produce efectos psicodélicos.

«In addition, it is rumored that the worm (actually a larva) that is contained in mescal con gusano contains special constituents and will induce hallucinogenic effects when eaten. Some people maintain that several worms must be eaten to obtain a sufficient dosage» — y el segundo rumor que consigna sin hacerlo suyo: que la larva del mescal con gusano traiga constituyentes especiales y produzca alucinaciones al comerla.

«Mayahuel, the goddess of agave, the source of the inebriating pulque drink» — el pie de figura nombra a Mayahuel diosa del agave y fuente del pulque embriagante, con la remisión al Códice Laud.

«According to Aztec historical records, pulque was “invented” in Central America between 1172 and 1291, after the Aztecs had migrated from the north» — Rätsch data la invención del pulque por los registros históricos aztecas entre 1172 y 1291, tras la migración desde el norte.

«Pulque has probably been used for a considerably longer period of time and was known to many peoples and tribes» — y relativiza de inmediato esa datación: el pulque se habrá usado mucho antes y lo conocían muchos pueblos.

«The Apaches, for example, used agave to make fermented drinks (tizwin) that were ritually consumed during tribal festivals» — el caso apache que Rätsch trae: bebidas fermentadas de agave llamadas tizwin, consumidas ritualmente en las fiestas tribales.

«Shortly before the plant is ready to develop its inflorescence, a sap (aguamiel, metl) that is very high in sugar accumulates in the shaft of the plant underneath the leaf crown. This sap apparently ferments as a result of microbial (Pseudomonas lindneri), wild yeast, or fungal activity (Gonçalves 1956). The plant produces the fermented drink known as pulque (also mezcal or vino mezcal) on its own» — el mecanismo del pulque según Rätsch: el aguamiel se acumula bajo la corona de hojas antes de la floración y fermenta por actividad microbiana, de modo que la planta produce la bebida por sí sola.

«Various plants have been and still are added to the pulque to improve it and to modify its psychoactive effects» — y el dato que a la casa le importa: al pulque se le añadían y se le añaden plantas para mejorarlo y para modificar su efecto psicoactivo, con la lista en tabla aparte.

«Among the Aztecs, pulque was a drink sacred to the gods that could be drunk only on ritual occasions. The dosage was limited to four bowls. Men over the age of seventy, however, were allowed to drink until they were inebriated» — la regla ritual azteca que Rätsch consigna: pulque sagrado, bebible solo en ocasión ritual y limitado a cuatro tazones, salvo para los mayores de setenta años.

«The Yaqui Indians fortify their mescal liquor with the leaves of Datura innoxia» — el aditivo yaqui que Rätsch registra: hoja de *Datura innoxia* para reforzar el aguardiente de mescal; el tramo se corta en el límite de plana y la frase sigue en la 105 con los aditivos mexicanos.

«Mexico, it is also common to use marijuana flowers (cf. Cannabis sativa), sugar, and chili pods (see Capsicum spp.) as additives to mescal» — y los aditivos mexicanos que completan la frase: flores de mariguana, azúcar y vainas de chile; el tramo abre en la plana 105 continuando la frase de la 104.

«And on the following day, wine [= pulque] was drunk and the after-celebration of the festival took place. The wine that was drunk is called blue wine. Everyone drank wine, the old men, the old women, and the chiefs of the nobility, the married, the adults, and the princes of blood and the leaders of the adults. And the first among the ranks of the young who were already strong, they too drank wine, but they drank in secret» — el testimonio azteca que el libro reproduce sobre la bebida ritual tras el sacrificio: bebían los viejos, los jefes, los casados y los príncipes, y los jóvenes bebían a escondidas.

«But if someone discovered them and it became known that they had drunk wine, then they would hit them with a jaw club so that their flesh would swell up, and they would shave their heads as slaves» — y el castigo que seguía al descubrimiento: golpes con una maza de quijada hasta hinchar la carne, y la cabeza rapada como la de un esclavo.

«them, kick them, throw them to the ground, and do everything evil to them until it sometimes occurred that they killed them. And after they had quieted their lust, they would throw them down, throw them out of the house» — el final del testimonio de Sahagun sobre el castigo del joven bebedor, que a veces llegaba a la muerte; el tramo abre en la plana 107 continuando la frase de la 106 y el libro lo refiere al Códice Florentino.

«The inebriating beverage was used as a ritual offering and libation for the gods and also was needed for human sacrifices. Before the ceremony, those whom the Aztecs were to sacrifice were required to drink four bowls of pulque» — el segundo destino ritual del pulque según Rätsch: ofrenda y libación para los dioses, y bebida obligada de cuatro tazones para quienes iban a ser sacrificados.

«the bark of the incense tree Bursera bipinnata had apparently been added. Once inebriated in this manner, they were allowed to have the priests rip the hearts out of their still-living bodies on the sacrificial altar» — y el aditivo que Rätsch conjetura para ese pulque —*Datura innoxia* o corteza de *Bursera bipinnata*— y su función: embriagados así, se dejaban arrancar el corazón vivos.

«In his 1541 work, Historia de los indios de la Nueva España, Motolinia had already alluded to the addition of ocpatli, apparently Acacia angustifolia (cf. Acacia spp.), and this addition was forbidden in the colonial period. The additive as well as the resulting drink were both known as teoctli, “divine pulque,” or xochioctli,“flower pulque» — la noticia colonial que Rätsch levanta de Motolinia: el aditivo ocpatli, prohibido en la colonia, y los nombres del pulque resultante, pulque divino y pulque de flores.

«The Huaxtec, who live on the Gulf of Mexico, used pulque in all their rituals and glorified the state of inebriation it produced. Pulque was also used during the sexual magical rites held to honor the erotic images of their gods. Men and women would copulate before the statues as the priests administered pulque enemas to them» — el uso huaxteco que Rätsch consigna: pulque en todos los ritos y en las prácticas de magia sexual, con enemas de pulque administrados por los sacerdotes ante las imágenes eróticas de los dioses.

«Large quantities of spirits distilled from agaves were also consumed in shamanic rituals, especially during the peyote festivals of the Huichols» — el uso chamánico del destilado de agave que Rätsch registra, sobre todo en las fiestas del peyote de los huicholes.

«The shaman took a few swigs from a bottle of a potent liquor made from the agave plant, then passed it to me. I matched him swig for swig. Then he picked up the bowl of peyote gruel and took a long drink. I counted the gulps and took the same amount. This continued throughout the night» — el testimonio de Siegel que el libro reproduce: el chamán alternando tragos de aguardiente de agave y de atole de peyote, trago por trago, toda la noche.

«It should be noted that the mescaline contained in the peyote cactus strongly suppresses the effects of alcohol» — y la observación farmacológica con que Rätsch lo acota: la mescalina del peyote suprime con fuerza los efectos del alcohol.

«In Aztec sacrificial ceremonies, the tips of the leaves (pencas) were driven as thorns into the skin of the victims. They were also used in raising boys to be noblemen. Anyone who behaved inappropriately was punished using agave thorns» — el segundo uso ritual del agave: las púas de sus hojas clavadas en la piel de las víctimas en el sacrificio azteca y usadas para castigar a los muchachos criados como nobles.

«In Cholula (Puebla), pre-Columbian wall paintings have been discovered that depict the ritual drinking of pulque. Peter Furst has identified the blossoms portrayed in one of the paintings as those of Turbina corymbosa. He has suggested that the seeds of this plant, which produce psychedelic effects, were used as an additive to the pulque» — el hallazgo iconográfico que Rätsch atribuye a Peter Furst: en las pinturas murales prehispánicas de Cholula, las flores identificadas como de *Turbina corymbosa*, cuyas semillas habrían servido de aditivo del pulque.

«In Mexico, it is widely believed that mezcal con gusano has aphrodisiac effects, as the worm is thought to contain active constituents. And in general, tequila and mescal are popularly associated with sex and eroticism» — la creencia mexicana que Rätsch consigna sin hacerla suya: efecto afrodisíaco del mezcal con gusano, y la asociación popular de tequila y mescal con el sexo.

«The effects of pure pulque are similar to those of balche’, chicha, and palm wine. However, there is also a noticeably refreshing component. In a pulque inebriation, one remains clearer than in a beer inebriation» — la descripción del efecto del pulque puro: parecido al del balché, la chicha y el vino de palma, con un componente refrescante y una embriaguez más clara que la de la cerveza; el tramo se corta antes del apóstrofo.

«Pulque that has been fortified with Psilocybe spp. is not merely inebriating, but also visionary. Visions of snakes are said to appear with some regularity» — y el efecto del pulque reforzado con hongos: no solo embriagante sino visionario, con visiones de serpientes que se dicen frecuentes.

«The dita tree has been used in South Asia to manufacture writing parchment since ancient times (Miller 1988, 20*). The wood was formerly used to make writing tablets for schoolchildren» — el marco de la monografía del árbol dita: uso surasiático antiguo para fabricar pergamino de escritura y tablillas para los escolares.

«Although the seeds were used in the tantric cult, no traditional use of this plant as a hallucinogen is known» — la negativa que Rätsch consigna junto al uso tántrico de las semillas: no se conoce uso tradicional de esta planta como alucinógeno.

«The tree is considered “evil” in India. Some tribal peoples do not merely fear the tree but avoid it altogether. They believe that an evil spirit dwells within the tree that can possess any person who walks underneath the tree or sleeps in its shadow» — el uso ritual del árbol dita por lo que se evita: tenido por malo en la India, algunos pueblos tribales lo esquivan porque creen que en él mora un espíritu malo que posee a quien pasa debajo o duerme a su sombra.

«These conceptions may be based upon the fact that the tree can induce visions. Because of this negative folklore, however, the tree has also been spared from the destruction being visited upon other tropical trees» — y la doble lectura que Rätsch propone en condicional: esas creencias podrían fundarse en que el árbol induce visiones, y gracias a ese folclore negativo se ha salvado de la tala.

«All inebriating beverages, including the hallucinogenic ones, stood under the protection of the goddess Mayahuel, who was originally only a simple farmer’s wife. The myth reports how she wanted to kill a mouse in the fields one day. But the animal escaped, danced fearlessly around her, and laughed at her. Dumbfounded, Mayahuel ultimately noticed that the mouse had nipped on a maguey plant, from which a milky juice was dripping» — el mito azteca que el libro reproduce en recuadro: todas las bebidas embriagantes, las alucinógenas incluidas, bajo la protección de Mayahuel, que descubre el aguamiel siguiendo a un ratón que ha mordido el maguey.

«She collected this juice and took it with her to her house so that her husband could try it. After drinking it, the two of them became cheerful and completely relaxed, and life appeared to them to be pure joy. Because they consecrated the drink to the gods, these thanked Mayahuel by naming her the goddess of pulque, while her husband became Xochipilli (‘flower prince’), the lord of flowers and games» — y el desenlace del mito: por consagrar la bebida a los dioses, estos hacen a Mayahuel diosa del pulque y a su marido Xochipilli, señor de las flores y los juegos.

«The seeds of the tree play a significant role in the sexual magical practices of the Indian tantric cult. Unfortunately, little is known» — el uso que Rätsch adjudica a las semillas del árbol dita en la magia sexual del tantrismo indio, con la declaración de ignorancia pegada: poco se sabe de ese uso.

«The Australian Aborigines used the latex as an adhesive for attaching ceremonial decorations (such as feathers) to their skins for rituals (Pearson 1992, 25*). It is possible that they also knew of and utilized the psychoactive properties of the dita tree. Apart from this, we know of no traditional usages for psychoactive purposes» — el uso aborigen del látex como adhesivo de los adornos ceremoniales, la conjetura de que conocieran también su psicoactividad, y la negativa con que Rätsch cierra: fuera de eso no se conocen usos tradicionales psicoactivos.

«In tantric magic, mantras (magical formulae) were written on pieces of bark parchment that were then used as amulets» — el artefacto de la monografía: mantras escritos sobre pergamino de corteza de dita y usados como amuletos en la magia tántrica.

«Once upon a time, in the Western Ghats or hills of India lived a shepherd called Ramu who played the flute beautifully. Every day while his goats grazed in the mountains, Ramu sat under the Chatian tree and played his flute. Now, in this Chatian tree lived a fierce spirit. When Ramu first came to sit under the tree he was just about to strike him dead when he heard the boy’s flute and was charmed by the melody. The spirit danced among the leaves and branches. Soon, when he was used to Ramu coming every day, he ventured down from the tree and introduced himself. From then on Ramu would play and the spirit would dance in great happiness. The two became good friends» — el cuento popular de Madhya Pradesh que el libro reproduce: el espíritu feroz que habita el árbol chatian iba a matar al pastor Ramu y queda encantado por su flauta, y acaba bajando a bailar y a hacerse su amigo.

«It was in Tantric India that the seed of the dita tree was first used as an aphrodisiac. Use of the drug was accompanied by an exercise that prolonged erection and delayed orgasm by control of specific genital muscles» — la voz de Richard Alan Miller que el libro cita en recuadro: la semilla del dita usada por primera vez como afrodisíaco en la India tántrica, acompañada de un ejercicio de control muscular.

«The names used for the tree are usually the same as the names given to the snuff that is prepared from it» — el criterio onomástico de la monografía del cebíl: los nombres del árbol son de ordinario los mismos que los del rapé que de él se prepara, y el libro los lista sin uniformar grafías.

«The seeds of the variety known as cebíl were being smoked in pipes over 4,500 years ago in the Puna region of northwestern Argentina» — la datación arqueológica que Rätsch da para el cebíl: semillas fumadas en pipa hace más de cuatro mil quinientos años en la Puna del noroeste argentino.

«Its use appears to have had a particularly profound effect upon the culture of Tiahuanaco» — y el alcance cultural que le atribuye en condicional: un efecto especialmente profundo sobre la cultura de Tiahuanaco, cuyo nombre glosa como morada del dios.

«It is uncertain whether the reports about the use of villca seeds that have come to us from the colonial period actually do refer to the seeds of Anadenanthera colubrina. Even today, other trees are also referred to as vilca» — la reserva de identificación que Rätsch mantiene abierta: no es seguro que las noticias coloniales sobre la villca se refieran a esta especie, porque otros árboles llevan también ese nombre.

«The ripe seeds are dried and may be lightly roasted, after which they are ground as fine as possible. As little as 150 mg to 0.5 g of this powder is effective when ingested nasally. One gram (which roughly corresponds to the weight of a large seed) represents a potent visionary dosage» — la preparación y la dosis del rapé de cebíl: semillas secas, ligeramente tostadas y molidas finas, con un gramo por dosis visionaria potente.

«Before the arrival of the Spanish, villca seeds must have had great ritual and religious importance in Peru, as high-ranking Andean priests and certain soothsayers (umu) were also known as villca or vilca camayo» — el argumento de Rätsch por los títulos: la importancia ritual de la villca en el Perú prehispánico se sigue de que sacerdotes andinos de alto rango y ciertos adivinos se llamaran villca o vilca camayo.

«One Indian shrine (huaca) was also referred to as villca, vilcacona, or vilcabamba, “place of the villca trees» — y lo extiende a la toponimia sagrada: la huaca llamada villca o vilcabamba, lugar de los árboles de villca.

«mountain is known as Villca Coto. The primeval survivors of a great flood retreated to the peak of this mountain» — el tercer eslabón del argumento toponímico: el monte Villca Coto, al que se retiraron los sobrevivientes primordiales de un gran diluvio; el tramo abre en la plana 123 continuando la frase de la 122.

«Villca seeds had great ritual significance as a beer additive in chicha intended for ceremonial consumption. Here, the “juice” of villca was trickled into the fermented beverage and consumed by soothsayers (umu) or “magicians” (= shamans) so that they could peer into the future» — el uso adivinatorio que Rätsch consigna de Cobo: el jugo de villca goteado en la chicha ceremonial y bebido por adivinos y chamanes para mirar el futuro.

«The shamans of the Wichi (= Mataco), who live in northwestern Argentina, still use a snuff they call hataj (Califano 1975). The Mataco shamans prefer smoking the dried and roasted seeds in pipes or cigarettes over sniffing the powder. They believe that it is only through hataj that they can penetrate into the other reality and have an effect upon it» — el uso vivo que Rätsch reporta: los chamanes wichi prefieren fumar las semillas tostadas a inhalar el polvo, y sostienen que solo por el hataj penetran en la otra realidad y obran sobre ella.

«In recent years, some of the Mataco have become converts to Christianity. When this occurred, they immediately equated the biblical tree of knowledge with cebíl (Arenas 1992). The Mataco, however, regard this not as a “forbidden fruit” but as the fruit of a sacred tree that the shamans use to perform healings» — la reinterpretación que Rätsch registra tras la conversión: los mataco equipararon el cebíl con el árbol bíblico del conocimiento, y no como fruto prohibido sino como fruto de un árbol sagrado de curación.

«The shaman Fortunato Ruíz has described cebíl seeds as a “door into the other world.” He smokes the seeds with tobacco and aromo—just as his ancestors did five thousand years before» — el testimonio del chamán Fortunato Ruíz que Rätsch cita —la semilla como puerta al otro mundo— y la continuidad del gesto: fumada con tabaco y aromo como hace cinco mil años.

«usage as a snuff in the southern Andes is first mentioned in the Relación of Cristobal de Albornoz. Use as an additive to maize beer (chicha) was first described by Polo de Ondegardo in 1571» — las dos primeras noticias coloniales que Rätsch fecha: el rapé andino en la Relación de Cristobal de Albornoz y el aditivo de la chicha en Polo de Ondegardo.

«Northwestern Argentina is thus the site of the longest uninterrupted tradition of ritual/shamanic use of a psychoactive or psychedelic substance on the planet» — la tesis que Rätsch saca de ahí: el noroeste argentino es el sitio de la tradición ritual y chamánica ininterrumpida más larga del planeta para una sustancia psicoactiva.

«Numerous pre-Columbian objects associated with snuff use (snuff trays, snuff tubes) have been found in northwestern Argentina (Puna) and northern Chile (Atacama Desert). The icon-ography of these objects was influenced by the visions produced by the cebíl seeds» — la tesis iconográfica de la monografía: la imaginería de las tabletas y tubos de rapé prehispánicos del noroeste argentino y del desierto de Atacama, influida por las visiones del cebíl.

«The hallucinations cebíl can induce appear to have exerted a considerable influence upon the iconography of the so-called Tiahuanaco style. The iconography of Chavín de Huantar is interwoven with similar motifs. The intertwined and entangled snakes that come out of the head of the oracle god can, for example, be interpreted as cebíl-induced hallucinations» — y la extiende, en condicional, al estilo de Tiahuanaco y a Chavín de Huantar: las serpientes entrelazadas que salen de la cabeza del dios oracular, leídas como alucinaciones de cebíl.

«A two-thousand-year-old shamanic textile from the Chavín culture features depictions of seedpods that can easily be interpreted as those of Anadenanthera colubrina (Cordy-Collins 1982*).36 In fact, a variety of iconographic elements in the Chavín culture have been interpreted as representations of Anadenanthera spp» — el apoyo arqueológico que Rätsch cita de Cordy-Collins y de Mulvany de Peñaloza: vainas en un textil chamánico chavín de dos mil años, interpretables como de *Anadenanthera colubrina*.

«Several paintings on ceramics from the pre-Columbian Moche or Chimu include depictions of trees. The iconographic contexts and the botanical representations of these trees indicate that they may very well be construed as Anadenanthera colubrina (archaeologists typically interpret these as “algarrobo trees» — la divergencia que Rätsch consigna sin armonizar: los árboles de la cerámica moche y chimú que él lee como *Anadenanthera colubrina* y que los arqueólogos leen de ordinario como algarrobos.

«At the same time, cebíl is also regarded as an abortifacient» — y la contradicción de usos que Rätsch consigna sin resolver: la misma semilla que se toma para promover la fertilidad femenina se tiene a la vez por abortiva.

«According to an as yet unpublished analysis by Dave Repke, freshly harvested and quickly dried seeds from trees in northeastern Argentina (Salta) contain primarily bufotenine (over 4%) and an additional alkaloid (perhaps serotonin), but no other tryptamines or alkaloids. The same chemist found 12% bufotenine (!) in one of the samples (per oral communication from C. M. Torres» — el dato químico inédito que Rätsch cita por comunicación oral de C. M. Torres: bufotenina por encima del cuatro por ciento en semillas frescas de Salta, y hasta el doce por ciento en una muestra.

«Whether the seedpods or root cortex contains tryptamines has not yet been investigated» — y declara el hueco de investigación: no se ha investigado si las vainas o la corteza de la raíz contienen triptaminas.

«The effects of cebíl snuff last for some twenty minutes and consist of profound hallucinations that are often in black and white, less frequently in color. These are not, or are only rarely, geometrical but are, rather, very flowing and decentralized. They are clearly reminiscent of the depictions of the Tiahuanaco culture» — la descripción del efecto del rapé: unos veinte minutos de alucinaciones profundas, casi siempre en blanco y negro, poco geométricas, fluidas y descentradas, y parecidas a las figuras de Tiahuanaco.

«Because of the short duration of these effects, cebíl is an ideal drug for shamanic diagnoses» — y la consecuencia práctica que saca: por lo breve del efecto, el cebíl es una droga ideal para el diagnóstico chamánico.

«Experience has shown that before smoking or sniffing cebíl, it is useful to chew coca (Erythroxylum coca) (or sniff some cocaine). This helps the visions become clearer and also obviates possible side effects» — la recomendación que Rätsch da por experiencia: mascar coca o inhalar algo de cocaína antes del cebíl aclara las visiones y evita efectos secundarios.

«We darkened the room of our bungalow in the rainforest. The powder was relatively simple and unproblematic to sniff into the nose. It does not burn like others (e.g., Anadenanthera peregrina). The slight prickling in the nose is tolerable» — la apertura del relato de experiencia con cebíl que el libro reproduce en primera persona: el rapé sencillo de inhalar y que, a diferencia del de *Anadenanthera peregrina*, no quema.

«After about five minutes, dancing phosphenes swirled before my eyes. The hopping and jumping points of light joined together into flowing forms and structures. It was as if the floodgates of the universe had been opened: Flowing patterns crashed into my field of view. From every point flowed streams and rivers of threads of light that quickly intertwined in and throughout one another, always in and throughout one another. And all this with incredible speed» — el desarrollo de la visión: fosfenos danzantes que se juntan en formas fluidas, como si se hubieran abierto las compuertas del universo, con ríos de hilos de luz entrelazándose a velocidad increíble.

«Flowing patterns, yes, exactly the patterns that shoot out of the head of the god of Tiahuanaco! I then knew that it must have been this exact same snuff that had provided the inspiration for the artists of Tiahuanaco» — y el reconocimiento con que el relato cierra su propio argumento iconográfico: los mismos patrones que salen de la cabeza del dios de Tiahuanaco, atribuidos por el narrador a este mismo rapé.

«Up until now, I had not seen any colors. But now I had visions in pale color. The speed of the visions decreased, and suddenly they were over» — el final de la visión: el color pálido que solo llega al término, la velocidad que decrece y el corte súbito, con un efecto total de unos veinticinco minutos.

«The seeds are drunk in chicha as a remedy for fever, melancholy, and other mysterious afflictions» — el uso medicinal de la semilla de cebíl en chicha: contra la fiebre, la melancolía y otras aflicciones misteriosas.

«At first I noticed how my body, especially the arms and legs, became heavy like lead; but the body sensation was warm and very pleasant» — el comienzo del efecto según el relato: pesadez de plomo en brazos y piernas, con una sensación corporal cálida y muy agradable; el tramo se corta antes del paréntesis que compara con la ketamina y que el troceo parte en el límite de plana.

«Archaeological remains of seeds that were definitely used in ritual contexts have been found in Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Peru, Haiti, the Dominican Republic, and Puerto Rico» — la geografía arqueológica del yopo según Rätsch: semillas de uso ritual seguro en Brasil, Chile, Colombia, Perú, Haití, la República Dominicana y Puerto Rico.

«The snuff known as cohoba, which is made from Anadenanthera peregrina, was mentioned several times in early colonial sources, e.g., by Fra Bartolomé de las Casas (Safford 1916). In the early sixteenth century, Gonzalo Fernández de Oviedo y Valdés was the first to note that the powder was obtained from the seeds of a tree belonging to the legume family» — las noticias coloniales del cohoba que Rätsch alinea: las menciones de Fra Bartolomé de las Casas y la primera identificación botánica, de Gonzalo Fernández de Oviedo y Valdés, a principios del siglo XVI.

«The island of Cuba was apparently named after cohoba» — y la etimología que consigna en condicional: la isla de Cuba llamada así, al parecer, por el cohoba.

«The addition of the alkaline substances liberates the alkaloids» — la razón farmacológica de la ceniza vegetal alcalina o la cal de caracol en el rapé: liberan los alcaloides.

«The indigenous peoples of the Amazon region knew of the technique of caoutchouc production [from the latex of Hevea spp.] long before the arrival of the Conquistadors. The Omogua, for example, used vessels of caoutchouc that they would fill with an inebriating agent [Anadenanthera peregrina powder]. A hole was drilled in the bottom, through which they introduced a tube for removing the inebriant and blowing it in one another» — el testimonio que el libro cita sobre la técnica del caucho anterior a la conquista: vasijas de caucho llenas de polvo embriagante, con un tubo para soplárselo unos a otros por la nariz; el tramo se corta antes del apóstrofo.

«Many tribes use the roasted seeds to manufacture snuffs that are used for shamanic purposes and that hunters also ingest to locate their prey. The Taino made great use of this powder during their healing rituals and tribal celebrations» — el uso ritual del yopo que Rätsch registra: rapé chamánico, usado también por cazadores para localizar la presa, y central en los ritos de curación y las fiestas tribales de los taínos.

«The Caribbean Taino carved figures of gods from the hard and durable wood of Anadenanthera (von Reis 1991). Numerous objects of snuff paraphernalia have been discovered in the Dominican Republic (Alcina Franch 1982). One of these is a sniffing tube in the form of a naked woman who is spreading her legs and wearing a death’s-head. In order to use this tube, you must place the skull against your nose. The other end, the opening of the vagina, is used to take in the snuff» — los artefactos taínos que Rätsch describe: figuras de dioses talladas en la madera de *Anadenanthera* y un tubo de inhalar con forma de mujer desnuda con una calavera, que se apoya en la nariz mientras el polvo entra por el otro extremo.

«Piptadenia peregrina,’ he said in a monotone voice, ‘that is the key» — la frase de la novela de ciencia ficción de Reinmar Cunis que el libro coloca en recuadro, donde el viaje entre realidades se hace con derivados de triptamina de esta planta.

«The presence of appreciable quantities of bufotenine is characteristic of this species» — el rasgo químico que Rätsch da por característico de la especie: cantidades apreciables de bufotenina.

«It is possible that bufotenine may accumulate through the hydrolysis of N,N-DMT and 5-MeO-DMT when the seeds are stored» — y la hipótesis con que explica que en material viejo solo se detecte bufotenina: acumulación por hidrólisis de las otras triptaminas durante el almacenamiento.

«When ingested nasally, the snuff induces psychedelic effects and produces multidimensional visions. Experiences of ego dissolution, death and rebirth, transformations into animals, and flying are common. The effects of the snuff last for some ten to fifteen minutes, although aftereffects may be noticeable for up to an hour» — la descripción del efecto del yopo: visiones multidimensionales, con disolución del yo, muerte y renacimiento, transformación en animal y vuelo, en diez o quince minutos de efecto.

«During medicinal and pharmacological experiments, it was difficult to recognize the psychoactive effects» — y la discrepancia que Rätsch consigna sin armonizar: en los experimentos médicos y farmacológicos de Turner y Merlis costó reconocer esos efectos psicoactivos.

«In early Sanskrit works, the palm is referred to as gouvaka. It was already mentioned in Jataka and Pali writings. The first description of the palm, however, is purportedly that of Herodotus» — la historia de la palma de betel según Rätsch: nombrada gouvaka en las obras sánscritas tempranas y en los textos jataka y pali, con la primera descripción atribuida a Heródoto.

«Later, both the palm and the chewing of betel were more or less precisely discussed by many Arabic and European travelers (e.g., Abd Allah Ibn Ahmad, Marco Polo, Vasco da Gama, Garcia da Orta, Abul Fazal, Jacobus Bontius) in their travel reports» — y la cadena de viajeros árabes y europeos que describieron la masticación del betel, de Abd Allah Ibn Ahmad y Marco Polo a Vasco da Gama y Garcia da Orta, con las grafías del libro.

«The first European pictorial representation of the betel nut is a copperplate engraving by Carolus Clusius» — y fija la primera representación europea de la nuez de betel en un grabado de Carolus Clusius.

«In Sri Lanka (Ceylon), the seeds of the closely related species Areca concinna Thwaites are sometimes chewed as a substitute for the true betel nut» — Rätsch abre la larga serie de sustitutos regionales de la nuez de betel, que él lista país por país sin uniformar las grafías locales.

«Betel nuts have their greatest ethnopharmacological significance as the primary ingredient in betel quids» — el sitio que Rätsch da a la nuez de areca: su mayor peso etnofarmacológico es como ingrediente principal del bolo de betel.

«The most important ritual use of the betel nut occurs in ceremonies involving betel quids (cf. also Piper betle» — y remite el uso ritual principal de la nuez a las ceremonias del bolo de betel, tratadas en otra entrada.

«In Melanesia, betel nuts are considered magical once a magician has uttered an appropriate formula over them. They then carry the magical power of the words in themselves and can transfer this to a goal (a person, an action, an object). They are often used as carriers of love magic» — el uso melanesio que Rätsch registra: la nuez vuelta mágica por la fórmula que el mago pronuncia sobre ella, portadora del poder de las palabras y usada sobre todo en magia amorosa.

«In India, the flowers of the betel palm are one of the flowers used as ceremonial offerings. The tree itself is symbolically venerated as Ganesha» — el uso indio: flores de la palma entre las ofrendas ceremoniales, y el árbol mismo venerado simbólicamente como Ganesha.

«The leaves of the betel palm also have ritual significance. They are used in Buddhist ceremonies and during initiations. On Sri Lanka, watertight bowls are woven from the leaves, and newborn boys are ritually bathed in these» — y el uso de las hojas: en ceremonias e iniciaciones budistas, y en Sri Lanka tejidas en cuencos donde se baña ritualmente a los recién nacidos varones.

«Malay magicians and poisoners use a mixture of betel nuts and opium (see Papaver somniferum) to poison and rob their victims» — el uso malayo que Rätsch consigna: magos y envenenadores con mezcla de nuez de betel y opio para envenenar y robar a sus víctimas.

«Its fruits are like nutmegs, when this fruit areca is broken out of its red-yellow mold. It is universally esteemed by the inhabitants of India, from kings to the lowest beggar, because they chew this fruit, both green and dry, smeared with betel flowers and a little lime from shells, more because it is a custom passed down from their ancestors than from necessity» — el testimonio de George Meister que el libro reproduce: la nuez masticada por todos en la India, del rey al último mendigo, más por costumbre heredada de los antepasados que por necesidad.

«And it is true that it imparts a well-scented breath and purple-red lips. It is for this reason that the Portuguese ladies do not wish to kiss any European man, regardless of how disgusting they might not otherwise be, before they have chewed this fruit, or one generally known as betel, claiming that the Dutch or the Germans stink from their throats when they do not chew this fruit» — y la continuación de ese testimonio: el aliento perfumado y los labios rojos, y las damas portuguesas negándose a besar a un europeo que no haya mascado betel.

«The effects of the common areca nut are only slight, resulting at most in a sense of dizziness that is short in duration. However, there are some forms that can have strong toxic effects. The seed of Areca catechu L. var. nigra from Java (akar pining hitam) produces narcolepsy and sedation and can cause death. Other forms have inebriating effects: such as one from Burma known as “toung-noo,” one from the Moluccas known as “pining-mabok,” and another from Ceylon» — la cita de Hartwich con que Rätsch acota la psicoactividad de la areca: en la forma común el efecto es leve, pero hay formas tóxicas y otras claramente embriagantes, nombradas con sus nombres locales.

«After a few days, a great festival was to take place. The people came to the festival from near and far. Mongumér-anim [a primeval being, a culture hero] was supposed to kill the pig, but during the night before the festival Mana seduced Monguméranim’s wife. For this reason, he was afraid of Mongumér-anim and would not let his club leave his hands. During the night . . . , when the singing was well under way, Mana used the opportunity to kill Mongumér-anim. He gave him a blow to the head with a club and then fled. . . . The people mourned Monguméranim. His Nakari [the unmarried girls of his totemic group] wrapped him in eucalyptus bark and placed him in his grave. The next morning, an areca palm had grown from the grave, a beautiful, slender tree that already bore ripe fruit and that had previously been unknown. All of the people came by and admired the tree and tried its nuts. . . . From that time on, it has been customary to chew betel nuts» — el mito de origen de Nueva Guinea que el libro reproduce: de la tumba de Mongumér-anim, asesinado por Mana, brota la primera palma de areca ya cargada de fruto, y de ahí la costumbre de mascar betel; tramo largo de más de 700 caracteres, cita que el libro reproduce como unidad, extraído con la guarda anticosido apagada y cotejado contiguo contra el crudo por cf.auditar.

«During the time of the Aztecs, the prickly poppy was known as the nourishment of the dead; souls would refresh themselves on it in the realm of the dead and in the rain-rich paradise» — el marco de la monografía del chicalote: entre los aztecas, alimento de los muertos, del que las almas se refrescaban en el reino de la muerte y en el paraíso de las lluvias.

«At the beginning of the twentieth century, Chinese residents of Mexico were said to produce a kind of opium from the prickly poppy that they used as a legal substitute for Papaver somniferum» — la noticia que Rätsch recoge de Reko: residentes chinos en México produciendo a principios del siglo XX una especie de opio de chicalote como sustituto legal de la adormidera.

«In India, the plant is called pharamgi dhattura because of its psychoactive properties, and it is regarded as a sister of Datura metel» — y el paralelo indio: la planta llamada pharamgi dhattura por sus propiedades psicoactivas y tenida por hermana de la *Datura metel*.

«Botanical experiments have demonstrated that this is not possible and that the idea appears to have sprung from the author» — y la objeción con que la cierra: los experimentos botánicos muestran que ese cruce no es posible, y la idea parece salida de la imaginación del autor; el tramo se corta antes del apóstrofo.

«It is not entirely clear whether the Aztecs or any other Mesoamerican peoples used the prickly poppy for psychoactive purposes. Since it was regarded as a nourishment of the dead, it is possible that its consumption or use may have been controlled or prevented; in any case, its use was limited to the priests. It may have been utilized for shamanic journeys into the worlds beyond» — la abstención de Rätsch sobre el uso psicoactivo azteca del chicalote: no está claro, y por ser alimento de los muertos su consumo pudo estar controlado y reservado a los sacerdotes, quizá para el viaje chamánico al más allá.

«The prickly poppy was a sacred plant of the Aztec rain god Tláloc, who reigned in Tlálocan, the “kingdom of dreams» — lo que sí afirma: el chicalote como planta sagrada de Tláloc, dios azteca de la lluvia, que reinaba en Tlálocan, glosado como reino de los sueños.

«The rain was attributed to the rain god, the rain priest. He created, allowed to fall, scattered the rain and the hail, enabled the trees, the grass, the maize to blossom, sprout up, become green, burst open, grow. Moreover, he was also said to be responsible when people drowned in water or were killed by lightning» — el pasaje del Códice Florentino sobre Tláloc que Rätsch reproduce: hacía caer la lluvia y el granizo y hacía brotar los árboles, la hierba y el maíz, y se le atribuían los ahogados y los muertos por rayo.

«And he was adorned in the following manner: a thick mask of soot over his face, his face painted with liquid cautschuk, he is smeared with soot; his face is spotted with a paste from the seeds of the prickly poppy, he wears the raiment of the dew, he wears the garb of the fog, he bears a crown of heron feathers, a neckband of green gems, he wears sandals of foam, and bells, he has white rushes for hair» — y el retrato ritual del dios en el mismo pasaje: la cara tiznada y moteada con pasta de semillas de chicalote, el vestido del rocío y de la niebla, la corona de plumas de garza y las sandalias de espuma.

«Tláloc was also associated with two other psychoactive plants: iztauhiatl (Artemisia mexicana) and yauhtli (Tagetes lucida; see Tagetes spp» — y las otras dos plantas psicoactivas que Rätsch asocia a Tláloc: el iztauhiatl y el yauhtli, con sus equivalencias botánicas.

«The Aztecs used prickly poppy seeds to make a dough that was ground so fine that it became a kind of tar. They used this tar to form an image of their (highest) god Huitzilopochtli. During celebrations in honor of the god, the priest would “kill” this image with a spear. Its “flesh,” which was called “god food,” was distributed among the worshippers» — el rito azteca que Rätsch levanta del Códice Florentino: la imagen de Huitzilopochtli amasada con semilla de chicalote, traspasada con lanza por el sacerdote, y su carne llamada comida del dios y repartida entre los fieles.

«Although it has often been claimed that morphine is present in the prickly poppy, this information is strongly contested» — la negativa química con que Rätsch cierra el caso del opio mexicano: la presencia de morfina en el chicalote, muchas veces afirmada, está muy discutida.

«Chicalote, el opio mexicano, or chicalote opium, allegedly results when Argemone mexicana is pollinated by Papaver somniferum» — la afirmación de Reko sobre el llamado opio mexicano, nacido según él del cruce del chicalote con la adormidera; el tramo se corta en el límite de plana y la cita sigue en la 157.

«produces capsules which, in an unripe state, do indeed allow one to obtain a product which, like opium, induces self-forgetfulness and total contentment» — y lo que esas cápsulas darían según Reko: un producto que, como el opio, induce olvido de sí y contento total; el tramo abre en la plana 157 continuando la cita de la 156.

«And all poisonous herbs are eaten in the Underworld» — el pasaje de Bernardino de Sahagun que el libro reproduce en recuadro: en el inframundo se comen todas las hierbas venenosas; el tramo se corta en el límite de plana y el recuadro sigue en la 156 con el chicalote.

«And all who go to the Underworld eat prickly poppy [Argemone mexicana]. And all that is not eaten here on the Earth is eaten in the Underworld. And it is said that nothing else is eaten» — la continuación del recuadro de Sahagun: los que van al inframundo comen chicalote, y lo que no se come en la tierra se come allí; el tramo abre en la plana 156 continuando el de la 155.

«The medicinal use of prickly poppy juice to treat eye ailments is common and is found, for example, among the Mixe and the Maya» — el uso medicinal más extendido del chicalote según Rätsch: el jugo contra las afecciones de los ojos, documentado entre los mixes y los mayas.

«Little is known about the plant’s psychoactive effects: “The seeds have a cannabis-like effect and the herb, juice and flowers are reputed to be narcotic in many countries» — la declaración de ignorancia con que Rätsch abre los efectos del chicalote, seguida de la cita de Oliver-Bever sobre las semillas de efecto parecido al del cannabis; el tramo se corta antes del apóstrofo.

«There are increasing reports from Mexico of aphrodisiac and euphoriant effects after smoking the dried herbage. The thickened latex has induced potent narcotic effects and delirium» — y lo que sí registra: reportes crecientes de efecto afrodisíaco y eufórico al fumar la hierba seca en México, y látex espesado con efectos narcóticos potentes y delirio.

«The prickly poppy is so full of sharp and poisonous thorns that a person who has one of these stick in his throat will doubtlessly go directly to Heaven or to Hell» — la frase de John Gerard que el libro cita en recuadro sobre las espinas del chicalote, con la fecha de 1597 tal como la imprime el troceo.

«The four of us smoked [the prickly poppy] and did more than just good to ourselves. As the stick was making its second round, an agreeable state of inebriation began in me. My head was blown free, my body was pleasurably warm, and I could feel how my blood whipped through its canals. The circle of friends gave me additional comfort, in particular as they appeared in a special glow in the evening sun. I found myself among beloved people. This feeling did not search long for an expression, but found one with gentle and yet rapid speed. My eyes lost their focus, and all of my other senses were stimulated in the most delicious manner. Even after the time of the bodies, the senses long remained in that fantastic state in which they are forbidden to perceive all those obscenities, to name all those realities, that we normally do. I found it difficult to steer my steps through the streets, to use fork and knife appropriately at the table, to enjoy the wine from a glass. The shortly measured sleep of this night—not much more than four hours—allowed us to experience the morning in complete and rested freshness» — el relato de Ossi Urchs sobre el chicalote fumado que el libro reproduce: cabeza despejada, cuerpo cálido, sentidos estimulados y una noche corta de sueño que basta para amanecer descansado; tramo largo de más de 700 caracteres, cita que el libro reproduce como unidad, extraído con la guarda anticosido apagada y cotejado contiguo contra el crudo por cf.auditar.

«The plant is originally from India, where it has been used medicinally since ancient times. It must have been introduced into Hawaii at a very early date, for its “home” now lies in the Pacific Islands. We know of no traditional use as an entheogen. The discovery that the wood rose is a potent psychedelic is a result of phytochemical research» — el marco de la monografía de la rosa de madera hawaiana: planta india de uso medicinal antiguo, sin uso tradicional conocido como enteógeno, cuya psicoactividad se descubrió por investigación fitoquímica.

«It struck me that I had remained in the real world during the wood rose session [14 seeds], whereby I understood it much better. As a result, while many of the interesting aspects of a regular trip had remained out of reach (strange worlds, adventures . . . ), the thing had not been nearly as strenuous. If you do not leave the real world, then you will not have any difficulties integrating yourself back into it» — el testimonio que el libro cita de Krik: con catorce semillas se queda uno en el mundo real y lo entiende mejor, de modo que se pierden las aventuras del viaje y se gana no tener que reintegrarse después.

«To date, we know of no traditional use of this psychoactive plant (Brown and Malone 1978, 14*). The baby Hawaiian wood rose is a possible candidate for the soma plant, which was described as a vine» — la negativa con que Rätsch abre el uso ritual, seguida de una conjetura: no se conoce uso tradicional, y la planta es candidata posible al soma, que se describía como liana.

«It is unknown whether the shamanic Huna religion used the seeds as enthogenic, magical, or medicinal agents, although this is possible» — y deja abierta la segunda conjetura, sin afirmarla: no se sabe si la religión chamánica huna usó las semillas con fin enteogénico, mágico o medicinal.

«In Hawaii, poor individuals who were unwilling or unable to pay the exaggerated black market prices for Hawaiian marijuana (Cannabis indica) used and still use the seeds as an inebriant» — el uso hawaiano moderno que Rätsch registra: quienes no pagaban el precio de mercado negro de la mariguana usaban y usan estas semillas como embriagante.

«In contrast, the plant does not appear in the traditional ethnobotany of Hawaii» — y lo acota de inmediato: la planta no figura en la etnobotánica tradicional de Hawái.

«Today, the seeds are used in the white Australian drug scene as psychedelic agents. It is not known whether the Aborigines ever used them. In the Californian subculture, the seeds as well as preparations made with them are used in sexual magical rituals à la Crowley» — los dos usos contemporáneos que Rätsch consigna: las semillas como psicodélico en la escena australiana blanca, con la ignorancia declarada sobre los aborígenes, y en la subcultura californiana en rituales de magia sexual a la manera de Crowley.

«The seeds contain 0.3% ergot alkaloids and are thus the most potent of all vine drugs» — el dato químico que ordena la monografía: con tres décimas de por ciento de alcaloides del cornezuelo, la semilla es la más potente de todas las drogas de liana.

«Most psychonauts characterize the effects of four to eight seeds as very similar to those of LSD (Smith 1985), that is, entailing typical psychedelic patterns and sensations. Reports describe colorful visions of a mystical nature» — la descripción del efecto que Rätsch recoge de los psiconautas: muy parecido al del LSD, con patrones psicodélicos típicos y visiones coloridas de carácter místico.

«It is said that the cactus was formerly used by the inhabitants along the Texas-Mexico border to fortify the maize beer (chicha) they called tizwin; it purportedly made them “temporarily crazy and uncontrollable» — el uso del falso peyote que Rätsch consigna en boca ajena: cactus para reforzar la cerveza de maíz llamada tizwin en la frontera de Texas y México, que volvía locos e incontrolables a quienes la bebían.

«If this cactus has any ritual use at all, it is only as a peyote substitute» — la reserva con que Rätsch abre el uso ritual del *Ariocarpus fissuratus*: si tiene alguno, es solo el de sustituto del peyote.

«The Huichol Indians strongly warn against eating this cactus, for it has the reputation of being associated with sorcery» — y el dato huichol que trae de Furst: advierten con fuerza contra comer este cactus, que tiene fama de estar asociado a la hechicería.

«When you eat it, you become crazy; you fall into the canyons, you see scorpions, snakes, dangerous animals, you are unable to walk, you fall, you often fall to your death by falling from the cliffs» — el testimonio del chamán huichol Ramón Media Silva que Rätsch cita sobre el falso peyote, opuesto punto por punto al efecto amable del peyote: locura, caída a las barrancas, escorpiones y serpientes.

«The effects of Ariocarpus are said to be very dangerous, particularly for those who do not possess a strong “Huichol heart» — y el límite con que Rätsch lo acota, tomado de Furst: el peligro es sobre todo para quien no tiene un corazón huichol fuerte.

«Wormwood and its qualities were already well known in ancient times. This and other species of Artemisia were sacred to the Greek goddess Artemis—hence their name» — el marco de la monografía del ajenjo: planta conocida desde la antigüedad y consagrada, con otras del género, a la diosa griega Ártemis, de quien toma el nombre.

«However, it is uncertain whether the early sources used the Greek name absinthion as a catch-all term for a number of Artemisia spp. or even other plants» — y la reserva filológica que Rätsch mantiene: no es seguro que absinthion nombrara en las fuentes antiguas a esta especie y no a varias artemisias o a otras plantas.

«Hildegard von Bingen euphorically praised it as “the most important master against all exhaustions» — el elogio de Hildegard von Bingen al ajenjo que Rätsch cita de la Physica.

«In the sixteenth century, Spanish Jesuits brought the Old World plant, which was known as hierba santa, “sacred herb,” to the entire world, particularly Central and South America» — la difusión moderna que Rätsch adjudica a los jesuitas españoles: llevaron la planta del Viejo Mundo, llamada hierba santa, al mundo entero.

«This drink, known as absinthe, became a fashionable drug, especially in nineteenth-century artistic circles. Chronic use, however, had terrible side effects (brain damage; so-called absinthism» — y el destino europeo del destilado: la absenta como droga de moda en los círculos artísticos del siglo XIX, con el llamado absintismo por efecto del uso crónico.

«It is still unclear whether absinthism was due to the thujone or to other ingredients (e.g., heavy metal salts» — la duda que Rätsch deja abierta sobre la causa del absintismo: la tuyona u otros ingredientes, como sales de metales pesados.

«Because wormwood was an inebriating drug, and because it was also used as an illegal abortifacient (by quack physicians), it was soon banned as a result of “increasing misuse” (Vogt 1981) in France in 1922 (Arnold 1988, 3043) and in Germany in 1923» — las dos razones de la prohibición que Rätsch da y su fecha: embriagante y usado como abortivo ilegal, se prohibió en Francia en 1922 y en Alemania en 1923.

«No one has been able to explain to me why absinthe became known as the green fairy. One woman conjectured that it might have something to do with the effects, for absinthe is said to carry people away as if they had been enchanted by a fairy. Others suggested that it refers to the often greenish color of the absinthe» — Rätsch declara en primera persona que nadie le ha sabido explicar el nombre de hada verde, y consigna sin arbitrar las dos conjeturas que le dieron: el efecto que arrebata como un hada y el color verdoso.

«One Swiss man informed me that absinthe is the “most psychedelic alcohol there is» — y la tercera voz que recoge de su trabajo de campo suizo: la absenta como el alcohol más psicodélico que hay.

«The drinking of absinthe resembles the smoking of cannabis together with the drinking of wine. The secret of the drink lies in the proper proportion of alcohol to thujonene. This leads to a synergistic effect. Absinthe is cannabis in a bottle. I drink it in the traditional manner, with sugar and ice water. But be careful! Strange things happen after the third draft» — el recuadro firmado RT que el libro reproduce: la absenta como cannabis en botella, con el secreto en la proporción de alcohol y tuyona, y la advertencia sobre el tercer trago.

«A wine, the so-called wormwood wine, is also made from it, especially in Propontis and in Thrace, where it . . . is used when fever is lacking. They also drink it in the summer before, for they believe that is wholesome to the health. . . . But the juice of absinthe appears to exert the same effects, except that we do not consider it good to drink, for it is contrary to the stomach and causes headaches» — el pasaje de Dioscórides que el libro reproduce sobre el vino de ajenjo de la Propóntide y Tracia, con su reserva dentro: el zumo puro no se tiene por bueno de beber.

«In ancient China, wormwood was used as an additive to rice wine» — el uso chino antiguo que Rätsch consigna: ajenjo como aditivo del vino de arroz.

«In 1797, M. Pernod, a Frenchman who was living in Switzerland at the time, developed the emerald green drink known as absinthe by distilling a preparation of an herb mash of worm-wood, anise (Pimpinella anisum L. [syn. Anisum vulgare Gaertn.]), fennel, lemon balm (Melissa officinalis L.), hyssop, and other herbs» — Rätsch data y atribuye la invención de la absenta: M. Pernod en Suiza, destilando una masa de ajenjo, anís, hinojo, melisa e hisopo, entre otras hierbas.

«Dale Pendell, one of the last of the Beat poets, developed a recipe of his own that induces profound psychoactive effects» — Rätsch presenta a Dale Pendell como uno de los últimos poetas beat y le adjudica una receta propia de absenta de efecto psicoactivo profundo.

«An absinthelike drink named yolixpa (Nahuatl, “in the view of the heart”) is distilled in Puebla (Mexico) and drunk ritually» — el paralelo mexicano que Rätsch trae: el yolixpa de Puebla, cuyo nombre náhuatl glosa como a la vista del corazón, destilado y bebido ritualmente.

«The Greek word artemisia means “intactness,” a clear reference to the chasteness of the goddess, who, as the mistress of wild animals, functions as a mixture of Amazon, witch, and shamaness» — la lectura de Rätsch sobre el nombre: artemisia querría decir intactez, por la castidad de la diosa, que como señora de los animales salvajes es mezcla de amazona, bruja y chamana.

«In spring, during the time of the full moon, ecstatic and orgiastic Artemis festivals were held to honor the goddess. As part of these festivities, the goddess was symbolically consumed in the form of wormwood and mugwort» — el uso ritual antiguo que Rätsch reconstruye: fiestas extáticas y orgiásticas de Ártemis en la luna llena de primavera, donde la diosa se consumía simbólicamente en forma de ajenjo y artemisa.

«In Laconia, boisterous Artemis festivals were held that featured obscene activities, wild dances, travesties, and masks. The men would wear women’s masks and the women would strap on phalluses (Giani 1994, 89*). It appears that these festivals were actually mystery rites and fertility rituals» — y el detalle laconio con su conclusión en condicional: danzas salvajes, travestismo y máscaras, con hombres de máscara femenina y mujeres con falos atados, en lo que parecen ritos de misterio y de fertilidad.

«It was popularized primarily through the absinthe pictures of the Parisian painters Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec (1864–1901) and Édouard Manet (1832–1883). The manic-depressive painter Vincent van Gogh (1853–1890) appears to have been addicted to absinthe» — el rastro artístico de la absenta que Rätsch levanta: los cuadros de Toulouse-Lautrec y Manet, y Vincent van Gogh que parece haber sido adicto a ella.

«His paintings, especially those in which brilliant yellow tones predominate (the renowned “Van Gogh yellow”), are good representations of the perceptual changes caused by thujone» — y la lectura que propone del amarillo de Van Gogh: buena representación de los cambios de percepción causados por la tuyona.

«In ancient Egypt, wormwood was commonly used as a remedy, an aromatic substance, and an additive to wine (cf. Vitis vinifera) and beer and to dispel worms and to treat pains in the anal region» — el uso egipcio antiguo del ajenjo: remedio, aromático y aditivo del vino y la cerveza, contra los gusanos y los dolores de la región anal.

«In European folk medicine, wormwood is one of the most important gynecological agents for abortion and to induce menstruation and labor» — y el uso europeo que Rätsch destaca: agente ginecológico de primer orden para el aborto y para provocar la menstruación y el parto.

«Use it to help yourself, and boil the bitter green of the woody wormwood; then pour the juice from spacious bowls And wash the highest part of the head with it. When you have washed the fine hairs with this brew, then remember to lay thereon, bundles of leaves tied together, and wrap a snug bandage around the hair after the bath. Before too many hours have passed in the course of time, you will be amazed by this agent and by all of its other powers» — la receta capilar de ajenjo que Walahfried Strabo pone en hexámetros latinos en el Hortulus, reproducida por el libro en recuadro.

«The literature contains frequent reports of hallucinations as well as of spasms and epileptic-like seizures following consumption of absinthe» — y lo que la literatura reporta: alucinaciones, espasmos y crisis de tipo epiléptico tras beber absenta.

«It was like the kiss of the green fairy. —Unfortunately, the next day the head was in as much pain as the inebriation had been delightful during the previous evening. I had never before experienced such a brutal hangover» — y el reverso del mismo relato: el beso del hada verde pagado al día siguiente con la resaca más brutal que él había tenido.

«In Switzerland, absinthe was made illegal primarily because it was being used (or abused) to terminate pregnancies» — la razón que Rätsch da para la prohibición suiza: que la absenta se usaba, o se abusaba, para interrumpir embarazos.

«The Aztecs and other Indians of Mesoamerica were already using Mexican wormwood for ritual and medicinal purposes in pre-Columbian times. Today, the prime significance of the plant is in folk medicine. In Mexico, the herbage is often smoked as a marijuana substitute» — el marco de la monografía del ajenjo mexicano: uso ritual y medicinal mesoamericano prehispánico, y hoy hierba fumada en México como sustituto de la mariguana.

«The first European to describe Mexican worm-wood and compare it to its European counterpart was the Franciscan priest and book burner Diego de Landa» — y la primera noticia europea, que Rätsch adjudica al fraile Diego de Landa, a quien nombra quemador de libros.

«Tlalpoyomatli, its leaves are smoky, gray, soft; it has many flowers. Incense is made from this plant: it produces an agreeable scent; it produces a perfume. This incense spreads, it is distributed over the entire country» — el pasaje del Códice Florentino sobre el tlalpoyomatli que Rätsch reproduce como testimonio del uso azteca como incienso ritual.

«There is wormwood, much leafier and more aromatic than what we have here, and with longer and narrower leaves; the Indians grow it for the scent and for pleasure, and I have noticed that the plants grow better when the Indian women put ashes at the foot» — el testimonio de Fray Diego de Landa sobre el ajenjo del Yucatán que el libro cita en recuadro: más frondoso y aromático, cultivado por los indios por su olor y por gusto.

«The aromatic plant was sacred to Uixtociuatl, the Aztec goddess of salt and salt makers. The Aztec name for Mexican wormwood, itztauhyatl, is sometimes translated as “water of the goddess of salt» — la adscripción divina que Rätsch consigna: el ajenjo mexicano consagrado a Uixtociuatl, diosa azteca de la sal, con el nombre náhuatl traducido a veces como agua de la diosa de la sal.

«While dancing, she swings her shield around in a circle, makes movements with it. And she carries a rush staff, decorated with papers and sprinkled with caoutchouc, and furnished on three sides with shells. And where the staff bears the chalice-shaped enlargements, there too is wormwood herbage. Crossed feathers are on it, it bears crossed feathers. When dancing, she supports herself on this, places it firmly into the ground and circles around it, making movements towards the four directions» — el pasaje del Códice Florentino sobre la fiesta de la diosa de la sal: la sacerdotisa que la personifica danza con un báculo de juncos adornado con hierba de ajenjo y se vuelve a los cuatro rumbos.

«They wear a wormwood flower on their heads. And they sing, they scream loudly, sing with a very high voice, their song is just as the centzontle sings somewhere in the forest, like a clear little bell are their voices» — y el cierre de la misma descripción: las mujeres de la cuerda de flores con flor de ajenjo en la cabeza, cantando con voz muy alta como el centzontle del bosque.

«Absinthe was also a source of literary inspiration for such writers as Arthur Rimbaud, Ernest Dowson, Charles Cros, H. P. Lovecraft, Charles Baudelaire, Oscar Wilde, Jack London, Ernest Hemingway» — la nómina literaria que Rätsch asocia a la absenta, de Rimbaud y Baudelaire a Lovecraft, Oscar Wilde y Hemingway; el tramo se corta en el límite de plana y la lista sigue en la 190.

«use of psychedelic Artemisia preparations combined synergistically with the lunar effect would have facilitated the ecstatic and orgiastic rites of Artemisia» — la tesis de Michael Albert-Puleo que el libro cita en recuadro: las preparaciones psicodélicas de artemisia, en sinergia con el efecto lunar, habrían facilitado los ritos extáticos y orgiásticos.

«The pharmacological effects of thujone, which is chemically related to camphor (see Cinnamomum camphora) and pinene, are very similar to those of THC» — el dato farmacológico que sostiene la lectura psicoactiva del ajenjo: los efectos de la tuyona, químicamente emparentada con el alcanfor y el pineno, muy parecidos a los del THC.

«The absinthe did indeed have inebriating effects upon me, but these were quite different than with “normal” schnapps. The stimulant effects of absinthe were quite strong, it woke me up and» — el relato en primera persona que Rätsch cita de sí mismo: la absenta embriaga de modo muy distinto del aguardiente corriente, con un efecto estimulante fuerte; el tramo se corta en el límite de plana y sigue en la 192.

«also kept me awake for a long time. I was partially bathed in aphrodisiac sensations, and I partially flowed in that direction. As the effects increased, I had the sensation that I was floating away» — la continuación de ese relato: insomnio prolongado, sensaciones afrodisíacas y la impresión de irse flotando; el tramo abre en la plana 192 continuando el de la 191.

«Documents from the colonial period make no mention of any use of this plant as a psychoactive plant» — la búsqueda negativa que Rätsch consigna para el ajenjo mexicano: los documentos coloniales no mencionan uso psicoactivo alguno de esta planta.

«However, Jacinto de la Serna did refer to Mexican wormwood in the same breath as peyote (Lophophora williamsii) and ololiuqui (Turbina corymbosa)» — y el único indicio en contra que trae: Jacinto de la Serna nombró el ajenjo mexicano en el mismo aliento que el peyote y el ololiuqui.

«In modern Mexico, the leaves are smoked as a marijuana substitute. It is possible that ritual forms for using the plant have developed in conjunction with this use» — la conjetura que Rätsch deja abierta sobre el uso moderno: con la hoja fumada como sustituto de la mariguana, pueden haberse desarrollado formas rituales nuevas.

«Alcoholic extracts with albahaca (see Ocimum micranthum) are said to heal diseases caused by “bad winds» — el uso medicinal mexicano que Rätsch registra en boca de la medicina popular: extractos alcohólicos con albahaca contra las enfermedades causadas por los malos vientos.

«Although it is likely present, thujone has not yet been detected» — la reserva química que Rätsch declara para el ajenjo mexicano: la tuyona, probablemente presente, no se ha detectado todavía.

«Smoking the dried herbage initially produces a mild, pleasant stimulation that can—depending upon dosage and sensitivity— increase to a euphoric state, very much like the effects of marijuana» — el efecto del ajenjo mexicano fumado: estimulación suave que, según dosis y sensibilidad, sube a un estado eufórico muy parecido al de la mariguana.

«In all of the places where species of Artemisia are found—and they are found almost worldwide—they are used for ethnomedicinal purposes» — el marco de la monografía del género *Artemisia*: donde quiera que se encuentran, y se encuentran casi en todo el mundo, se usan con fines etnomédicos.

«Many Artemisia species are used ritually as incense, in the peyote cult (see Lophophora williamsii), and as medicines. Even mugwort (Artemisia vulgaris), which was introduced from Europe, is used as “sage” (tägyi). Some species that have gynecological effects are sacred to the Greek goddess Artemis» — los tres usos rituales que Rätsch reúne: incienso, culto del peyote y medicina, con las especies de efecto ginecológico consagradas a Ártemis.

«Ethnobotanical research now suggests that Paleo-Indians brought the use of mugwort as incense with them into the New World from Asia some 30,000 years ago» — la hipótesis que Rätsch recoge de Storl, dicha como sugerencia: los paleoindios habrían traído de Asia el uso de la artemisa como incienso hace unos treinta mil años.

«There is almost no ritual among the Plains Indians that does not include smudging with Artemisia ludoviciana. The ascending aromatic smoke is a prayer. It links together Maká, the Mother Earth, with Wakan Tanka, the Great Spirit, who is active in all creatures» — el papel central que Rätsch da a la artemisa entre los indios de las llanuras: casi no hay ritual sin sahumerio, y el humo aromático que asciende es una oración que liga a Maká, la Madre Tierra, con Wakan Tanka, el Gran Espíritu.

«The Plains Indians use western mugwort primarily for spiritual purification, to dispel disease spirits and negative powers, to treat possession, and to protect the home. The herbage is also used as an incense in peyote ceremonies, as pillows (support) for “Father Peyote” (cf. Lophophora williamsii), and as an altar covering» — y los usos concretos: purificación espiritual, expulsión de los espíritus de la enfermedad y de los poderes negativos, tratamiento de la posesión, protección de la casa, e incienso, almohada y mantel de altar en la ceremonia del peyote.

«Occasionally, mild psychoactive effects (euphoria, sensations of being “high”) have been reported following deep inhalation» — el efecto que Rätsch registra para la artemisa de las llanuras, acotado por su propia frecuencia: efectos psicoactivos leves, euforia y sensación de estar *high*, reportados solo ocasionalmente tras inhalar hondo.

«Tribe members inhale the smoke of the burning herbage as a sedative. This effect is also widely known in Southeast Asia. The Santal use an oil pressed from the leaves as a local anesthetic. The Oraon smoke the dried leaves to induce hallucinations» — los usos indios de *Artemisia nilagirica* que Rätsch alinea: humo sedante entre los lodha, aceite anestésico local entre los santal, y hoja seca fumada por los oraon para inducir alucinaciones.

«Thujone has potent psychoactive powers, while the effects of isothujone are similar to those of codeine» — la distinción farmacológica que Rätsch mantiene entre los dos componentes del aceite de *Artemisia tilesii*: la tuyona con poderes psicoactivos potentes y la isotuyona con efectos parecidos a los de la codeína.

«This species is indigenous to the Himalayas. In Ladakh, it is used as a psychoactive additive to beer» — el uso himalayo de *Artemisia tournefortiana*: aditivo psicoactivo de la cerveza en Ladakh.

«Archaeological finds, e.g., of flutes made from the stalks, demonstrate that Arundo donax was used widely in ancient Egypt since at least the time of the New Kingdom» — el marco de la monografía de la caña: flautas de su tallo que atestiguan su uso en el Egipto antiguo desde al menos el Reino Nuevo.

«The plant has long been associated with the pastoral god Pan» — y la asociación divina con que Rätsch la abre: la caña ligada desde antiguo al dios pastoril Pan; la frase sigue en la plana 208.

«The inhabitants of the Toconse oasis (Atacama Desert) claim that this plant has the power to induce dreams (Aldunate et al. 1981, 205*). It apparently even has hallucinogenic properties» — el caso de *Artemisia copa* en el norte de Chile: los habitantes del oasis de Toconse le atribuyen el poder de inducir sueños, y Rätsch añade en condicional que al parecer es alucinógena.

«Much beckoned daughter of Zeus, Thundering, highly praised Titaness, Exalted archeress! All-illuminating, torch bearing, Goddess Diktynna, who smiles upon the childbed; Helper in labor, But who herself knows the childbed not. She who unties the girdle, Friend of madness, Dispeller of Troubles, Huntress, Runner, Hurler of arrows, Friend of the hunt, who storms through the night» — el himno órfico a Ártemis que el libro coloca junto a la monografía del género, con sus epítetos: titánide muy alabada, arquera excelsa, amiga de la locura y cazadora que corre en la noche.

«Because it appears in the legend of the Buddha, the reed is also sacred to Buddhists» — la adscripción budista de la caña que Rätsch consigna: por aparecer en la leyenda del Buda, la caña es sagrada también para los budistas.

«It is only recently that the psychoactive properties of the reed have become known» — y data el hallazgo: la psicoactividad de la caña solo se conoce desde hace poco.

«The Shipibo shamans from Caimito use the giant reed as an ayahuasca additive» — el uso vivo que Rätsch reporta: los chamanes shipibo de Caimito usan la caña como aditivo de la ayahuasca.

«Northern Peruvian folk healers (curanderos) sometimes set up crosses of reeds when making the San Pedro drink (see Trichocereus pachanoi) so that the brew will not boil over. Otherwise, it will not bring good fortune» — y el uso ritual peruano: los curanderos ponen cruces de caña al preparar la bebida de San Pedro para que el cocimiento no se derrame, porque si lo hace no traerá fortuna.

«Unfortunately, little is also known about toxic dosages. Great care should be exercised when experimenting with Arundo donax» — la advertencia que Rätsch pone en el sitio de la dosis: poco se sabe también de las dosis tóxicas, de modo que hay que tener gran cuidado al experimentar con esta planta.

«In ancient times, the reed not only was consecrated to the nature god Pan but also was sacred to Silvanus and Priapus. It is not known whether the reed was used as a psychoactive agent in the cult of Pan» — la consagración antigua de la caña a Pan, Silvano y Príapo, con la ignorancia declarada pegada: no se sabe si se usó como psicoactivo en el culto de Pan.

«On the other hand, the syrinx, the pipes of Pan, are made from reeds, and these not only produce beautiful melodies but also can spread a “Panic terror” (Borgeaud 1988). This story may be a metaphor for the great psychoactive power of the root (for most people, DMT experiences are profoundly terrifying» — y la lectura que Rätsch propone en condicional: el terror pánico que la siringa puede difundir como metáfora del poder psicoactivo de la raíz, porque para la mayoría la experiencia con DMT es profundamente aterradora.

«Apart from this, there are only a few rumors of a ritual use as a psychoactive plant that can be taken seriously» — la cautela con que Rätsch introduce el testimonio siguiente: fuera de lo anterior solo hay unos pocos rumores de uso ritual que puedan tomarse en serio.

«There are statements about a secret Sufi tradition in which Arundo donax and Peganum harmala have been linked with mystical initiation. If this is in fact true, then this would be evidence for the use of a reliable ayahuasca analog in the ancient Near East—the celebrated soma of the Arians» — el rumor que cita de DeKorne, con su condicional dentro: una tradición sufí secreta que ligaría la caña y la ruda siria a la iniciación mística, lo que sería evidencia de un análogo de ayahuasca en el Oriente Próximo antiguo.

«In the New World, the shafts of Arundo donax were used not only in the manufacture of arrows but also as ritual objects» — el uso americano de la caña: no solo flechas sino objetos rituales, entre ellos las astas de las banderas de oración de los huicholes.

«According to Dioscorides, the flower tufts of Arundo donax—just like those of Phragmites australis—induce deafness if they get into the ear» — el efecto que Rätsch trae de Dioscórides para las panojas de la caña: sordera si entran en el oído.

«The reports about the effects of an ayahuasca analog made with Arundo donax are not very promising and do not encourage others to experiment» — y el saldo experimental que declara: los reportes sobre el análogo de ayahuasca hecho con caña no son prometedores y no animan a probarlo.

«For example, I once ingested one gram of Peganum harmala extract with 50 mg of an Arundo donax extraction. There was no psychoactivity at all, but I did suffer a modest allergic reaction. Within an hour I noticed that my vision was impaired—there was some difficulty in focusing on the print in a magazine. Later, my eyes felt watery and slightly swollen. The next day, I had a medium conjunctivitis with occasional hives appearing on my body. It took three days for these symptoms to subside» — el testimonio de DeKorne que lo sostiene: ninguna psicoactividad y una reacción alérgica con visión alterada, conjuntivitis y urticaria que tardó tres días en ceder.

«Pan, the Mighty, I call to you the god of the shepherds, the totality of the universe— Heaven, Ocean, Earth, the queen of all, and the immortal fire, for all are the limbs of Pan. Come, blessed one, Jumper, running in a circle, He who rules with the Horae, Goat-footed god: Friend of souls ardent for god, Ecstatic, cave-dweller— You play the world’s harmony with merry flute tones» — el himno órfico a Pan que el libro coloca junto a la monografía: dios de los pastores y totalidad del universo, del que cielo, océano y tierra son miembros, y que toca la armonía del mundo con la flauta.

«There is a real world, but it lies behind this luster and this illusion, behind all of the ‘hunting for Gobelin tapestries, dreams at full speed’! Behind it, as if behind a veil. . . . The old ones knew what it meant to lift the veil. They called it: beholding the god Pan» — la voz de Arthur Machen que el libro cita en recuadro: hay un mundo real detrás del velo, y los antiguos llamaban a levantarlo contemplar al dios Pan.

«Since ancient times, belladonna has been feared as a poisonous plant and demonized as a plant of witches» — el marco de la monografía de la belladona: temida como venenosa desde la antigüedad y demonizada como planta de brujas.

«It is possible that Dioscorides described the deadly nightshade under the name stychnos manikos (Schneider 1974, 1:160*). However, this name has caused great confusion and continues to pose an ethnobotanical puzzle» — la incertidumbre de identificación que Rätsch mantiene: cabe que Dioscórides describiera la belladona bajo otro nombre, que ha causado gran confusión y sigue siendo un enigma etnobotánico.

«The genus name is derived from that of Atropos (= “the terrible, merciless”), one of the Three Fates or Goddesses of Destiny, who determine life and death. It is Atropos who cuts the thread of life» — la etimología del género que Rätsch da: Átropos, la implacable, una de las tres Moiras, la que corta el hilo de la vida.

«In the ancient Orient, belladonna was used as an additive to beer and palm wine. The Sumerians appear to have used it to treat numerous ailments caused by demons» — los usos orientales antiguos que registra: aditivo de la cerveza y del vino de palma, y remedio sumerio contra las dolencias causadas por demonios.

«In the eleventh century, the plant was used as a “chemical weapon” in the war between the Scots and the invading Danes. The Scots added juice from the berries to their dark beer and gave this to the thirsty Danes, who were subsequently overpowered as they lay in a delirious stupor» — el episodio bélico que Rätsch cuenta: los escoceses añadiendo zumo de las bayas a su cerveza oscura para entregarla a los daneses invasores, que quedaron en estupor delirante.

«This demonization continued into later times (teufelsbeere = “devil’s berry,” teufelsgäggele = “little devil’s berry,” teufelskirsche = “Devil’s cherry”), as the plant was linked to the witches’ ointments and regarded as a dangerous and demonic plant» — la continuidad de esa demonización que Rätsch traza por los nombres alemanes de la baya del diablo, y su vínculo con los ungüentos de brujas.

«Because belladonna can easily produce toxic states that can prove lethal, its role as a magical plant has never been significant» — y la consecuencia que saca, contra lo que la fama haría esperar: como la belladona produce con facilidad estados tóxicos que pueden ser letales, su papel como planta mágica nunca ha sido importante.

«When we encounter the deadly nightshade during our excursion through the columned halls of the forest, a strange feeling comes over us, as if a secretive being with fixed, staring eyes were standing behind the mysterious plant. Its sparkling, shiny black fruits reflect back to us in the dark light of the forest. The deadly nightshade has an aura of danger about it, and we can feel as we look at it that caution is advised» — la voz de Bruno Vonarburg que el libro cita en recuadro: la sensación de un ser secreto de ojos fijos detrás de la planta, y el aura de peligro que aconseja cautela.

«The Italian herbalist Matthiolus was the first to mention the name belladonna,“beautiful woman,” explaining that Italian women would drip juice pressed from the plant into their eyes in order to make themselves more beautiful» — el origen del nombre que Rätsch adjudica a Matthiolus: belladonna, mujer hermosa, por el zumo que las italianas se echaban en los ojos para embellecerse.

«The juice contains atropine, which effects a temporary dilation of the pupils (mydriasis). At the time, large black pupils were the epitome of beauty» — y la explicación farmacológica de esa moda: la atropina dilata la pupila, y la pupila negra y grande era entonces el colmo de la belleza.

«and paralysis in this coldness, and in the earth, and at the place where it grows, the devilish prompting has a certain part and a role in its arts. And it is dangerous for a man to eat and to drink, for it destroys his spirit, as if he were dead» — el pasaje de la Physica de Hildegard von Bingen que Rätsch cita como comienzo de la demonización de la belladona: en el sitio donde crece tiene parte el impulso diabólico, y comerla destruye el espíritu del hombre como si estuviera muerto; el tramo abre en la plana 217 continuando el de la 216.

«Atropine, the active principle of the plant, was first isolated from the deadly nightshade in 1833 by the German apothecary Mein» — Rätsch data y atribuye el aislamiento de la atropina: 1833, por el boticario alemán Mein, a partir de la belladona.

«The deadly nightshade produces an attractive nectar that bees and bumblebees enthusiastically collect and transform into psychoactive honey» — el dato que Rätsch recoge de Hazlinsky: abejas y abejorros transforman el néctar de la belladona en miel psicoactiva.

«Extreme care should be exercised with Atropa belladonna! With some individuals, even the smallest amounts can have devastating results (delirious states). Using the plant as a fumigant or as an ingredient in smoking blends is the least dangerous method of consumption» — y la advertencia con que la cierra: en algunas personas la menor cantidad produce delirio, y fumigar o fumar la planta es el modo menos peligroso de consumirla.

«Belladonna is reputed to have been an ingredient in witches’ ointments and was used as a magical fumigant. One traditional “oracular incense” had the deadly nightshade as its chief component» — el uso mágico de la belladona que Rätsch consigna en voz pasiva: ingrediente de los ungüentos de brujas y componente principal de un incienso oracular; el tramo se corta antes del apóstrofo.

«leaves of fool’s parsley [Aethusa spp., Apium spp., or Sium spp.], harvested during the new moon, acorns [Quercus spp.], plucked during the full moon while naked, leaves and flowers of the deadly nightshade, harvested at midday, leaves of vervain [Verbena officinalis], plucked by hand in the afternoon, leaves of wild peppermint [Mentha spp.], picked in the morning, leaves of the thistle [Viscum album], from the previous year, cut at midnight» — la receta del incienso oracular que el libro reproduce del Magister Botanicus, donde cada ingrediente lleva su hora y su fase lunar de cosecha: perejil de burro en luna nueva, bellotas en luna llena y desnudo, belladona a mediodía, verbena por la tarde, menta por la mañana y muérdago a medianoche.

«Unfortunately, no precise details about the amounts to use have come down to us» — y el hueco que declara en esa receta: no ha llegado dato preciso de las cantidades.

«Belladonna berries can also be mashed, fermented, and distilled into alcohol and were formerly used as a psychoactive additive to beer, mead, palm wine, and wine» — el uso de la baya como aditivo psicoactivo que Rätsch registra: destilada en alcohol y añadida antes a la cerveza, el hidromiel, el vino de palma y el vino.

«Since ancient times, deadly nightshade has probably been used in the same or a very similar manner as mandrake (see Mandragora» — la equivalencia que Rätsch propone en condicional para el uso ritual: la belladona usada desde antiguo del mismo modo o de modo muy parecido a la mandrágora.

«Folktales have preserved the remnants of a belladonna cult that suggest that this may have been the case. In Hungary, for example, the root “is dug up on the night of St. George while naked, and a bread offering is made as if to an elfish monster» — el resto de culto que Rätsch lee en el folclore: en Hungría la raíz se desentierra desnudo en la noche de San Jorge y se le hace una ofrenda de pan como a un monstruo élfico.

«In Romania, the deadly nightshade is also known as the wolf cherry, the flower of the forest, the lady of the forest, and the empress of herbs» — y los nombres rumanos que alinea: cereza del lobo, flor del bosque, señora del bosque y emperatriz de las hierbas.

«The German names for the plant are suggestive of its psychoactive effects (schlafbeere = “sleeping berry,” rasewurz = “mad root,” tollkirsche = “crazy cherry”) and contain pagan references (wolfsauge = “wolf’s eye,” wutbeere = “rage berry”); the wolf is the animal of Wotan and wut (= fury, ecstasy) is his characteristic (wuotan, “the furious» — el argumento onomástico de Rätsch: los nombres alemanes remiten al efecto —baya del sueño, raíz de la locura, cereza loca— y llevan referencias paganas, con el lobo como animal de Wotan y la furia como su rasgo.

«On the Lower Rhine, its fruits are known as Walkerbeeren [“Valkyrie berries”], and the plant itself is known as the Walkerbaum [“Valkyrie tree”], and anyone who ate of the berries would fall victim to the Valkyries» — el testimonio de Perger que Rätsch cita: en el Bajo Rin los frutos se llaman bayas de valquiria y el arbusto árbol de valquiria, y quien comiera de ellos caería en manos de las valquirias.

«Consequently, as late as the nineteenth century, southern German hunters would still often consume three or four belladonna berries before going out hunting, a practice that was said to sharpen their perception and make them better hunters» — el uso vivo que Rätsch reporta hasta el siglo XIX: cazadores del sur de Alemania comiendo tres o cuatro bayas antes de salir, porque se decía que agudizaban la percepción.

«Although the deadly nightshade is regarded as a classic witches’ plant, only a very few details have come down to us concerning its magical use in witches» — la declaración de escasez documental con que Rätsch abre el uso mágico: aunque la belladona pase por planta de brujas clásica, muy pocos detalles han llegado sobre su uso en rituales de brujas; el tramo se corta antes del apóstrofo.

«In his work Magiae naturalis [Natural Magic], Giovanni Battista della Porta (ca. 1535–1615) wrote that a person could use an arcanum (secret means) to transform himself into a bird, fish, or goose—the sacred animal that was sacrificed to Wotan/ Odin at the time of the winter solstice—and thereby have much amusement. He listed belladonna first among the agents that could be used for these purposes» — lo que sí documenta: Giovanni Battista della Porta, en la Magia naturalis, pone la belladona a la cabeza de los medios con que transformarse en ave, pez o ganso, animal sacrificado a Wotan en el solsticio de invierno.

«In Celtic rituals and in the neo-pagan rituals of certain modern “witches cults” (Wicca) that are based upon these, following a fasting period of fourteen days50 (one fortnight), the oracular fumigation noted above was and is still carried out during the night of the full moon preceding the festival of Samhain» — el uso ritual contemporáneo que Rätsch consigna: en rituales celtas y en los ritos neopaganos de ciertos cultos de brujas modernos, que nombra Wicca, la fumigación oracular se hace tras catorce días de ayuno en la luna llena anterior a Samhain.

«The resulting toxic effects of the smoke would place the priest/ ess into a trance state in which he or she would then serve as oracle and answer the questions of the others or establish contact to the spirits or gods. It is also interesting that a priest or priestess was never allowed to function as the oracle on two consecutive occasions» — y la regla de ese oficio que el mismo testimonio trae: el trance pone al sacerdote o sacerdotisa de oráculo ante los espíritus o los dioses, y nunca se le permitía oficiar dos veces seguidas.

«The deadly nightshade has been used for medicinal purposes since ancient times, e.g., as an analgesic (cf. soporific sponge). It was often administered to “dispel demons” (in other words, it was likely used in therapies to treat depressions, psychoses, and other mental illnesses» — el uso medicinal antiguo con la lectura que Rätsch le da entre paréntesis: administrada para expulsar demonios, es decir, probablemente en terapias contra depresiones, psicosis y otras enfermedades mentales.

«In Morocco, the dried berries, together with a small amount of water and some sugar, are made into a tea that can “help produce a good mental condition.” This tea is also an aphrodisiac for men. It is also said “that a small dose of belladonna clears the mind and enables one to do intellectual tasks» — el resto vivo de ese uso psiquiátrico que Rätsch localiza en Marruecos: té de bayas secas que ayuda a producir buena condición mental, afrodisíaco para hombres y, se dice, aclarador de la mente para el trabajo intelectual.

«A couple of fresh berries are also said to increase the ability to remember» — y el efecto mnemónico que consigna en boca ajena: un par de bayas frescas aumentarían la capacidad de recordar.

«The alkaloids in the plant apparently pass into the tissues of animals that have eaten the foliage, the fruits, or the roots. In one eighteenth-century case, an entire family experienced hallucinations after eating a rabbit» — el caso del siglo XVIII que Rätsch trae para el paso de los alcaloides a la cadena alimenticia: una familia entera con alucinaciones tras comerse un conejo.

«The members of a band of people knowledgeable about herbs» — la descripción del oráculo de belladona que Rätsch cita del Magister Botanicus: una banda de conocedores de hierbas; el tramo se corta en el límite de plana y el testimonio sigue en la 226.

«would then gather in the “sacred” night and select one of their own, who would then sit before the incense vessel as the oracular priest/ess and inhale the toxic fumes» — y la continuación de ese testimonio: se reúnen en la noche sagrada y eligen a uno que se sienta ante el vaso de incienso como sacerdote oracular e inhala los humos tóxicos; el tramo abre en la plana 226 continuando el de la 225.

«It is not known whether these pictures were the result of the artists’ personal experiences with bella-donna preparations. It is possible that the legends concerning the witches’ plant and the spirit that lives within it provided all the inspiration they needed» — la abstención de Rätsch ante las imágenes decimonónicas de la belladona antropomorfa: no se sabe si salieron de experiencias propias de los artistas, y pudo bastar la leyenda de la planta y su espíritu.

«Ingestion of one or two fresh berries produces mild perceptual changes approximately one to two hours after consumption. Three or four fresh berries is regarded as a psychoactive aphrodisiac; three to a maximum of ten berries represents a hallucinogenic dosage» — la escala de dosis de la belladona que Rätsch da: de una o dos bayas frescas para cambios perceptivos leves a tres o cuatro como afrodisíaco psicoactivo, y hasta diez como dosis alucinógena.

«The world is much more absurd and threatening than most people comprehend. Just ask any of the people that have partaken of the belladonna, and they will attest to this» — la voz de Robert Anton Wilson que el libro cita en recuadro: el mundo es mucho más absurdo y amenazante de lo que la mayoría comprende, y quien haya tomado belladona lo atestiguará.

«The only species that has attained any ethnopharmacological significance as a psycho-active plant is Atropa belladonna» — el acotamiento del género que Rätsch hace: de las cuatro a seis especies de *Atropa*, solo la belladona ha alcanzado peso etnofarmacológico como planta psicoactiva.

«The Andoques Indians distinguish among three forms of the vine, depending upon the types of effects each has upon the shamans: iñotaino’ (transformation into a jaguar), hapataino’ (transformation into an anaconda), and kadanytaino’ (transformation into a goshawk» — la clasificación indígena de la ayahuasca que Rätsch recoge de Schultes: los andoque distinguen tres formas de la liana por el tipo de transformación que producen en el chamán, en jaguar, en anaconda o en azor.

«The word ayahuasca is Quechuan and means “vine of the soul” or “vine of the spirits» — la etimología que Rätsch da para el nombre: voz quechua que quiere decir liana del alma o liana de los espíritus.

«The German ethnographer Theodor Koch-Grünberg (1872–1924) was one of the first to observe and describe the manufacture of the caapi drink» — y adjudica a Theodor Koch-Grünberg una de las primeras observaciones y descripciones de la fabricación de la bebida de caapi.

«The Tukanos and other Indians of the Amazon regard the ayahuasca vine as a snake that can bear humans into the world of the spirits» — el pie de figura que consigna la lectura tukano de la liana: una serpiente capaz de llevar a los hombres al mundo de los espíritus.

«The Tukano prepare the yajé by dissolving it in cold water, not, as is done by other tribes to the south, by boiling. Short pieces of the liana are macerated in a wooden mortar, unmixed with the leaves or with other ingredients. Cold water is added, and the liquid is passed through a sieve and placed in a special ceramic vessel» — la preparación tukano que Rätsch cita de Reichel-Dolmatoff, opuesta a la de las tribus del sur: la liana macerada en mortero de madera y disuelta en agua fría, sin hervir y sin mezcla.

«This solution is prepared two or three hours before its proposed ceremonial use, and it is later drunk by the group from small cups. These drinking vessels hold 70 cubic cm and between drinks, six or seven in number, intervals of about an hour elapse» — y el ritmo de la ceremonia en el mismo testimonio: la solución preparada dos o tres horas antes, bebida en copas pequeñas seis o siete veces, con una hora entre trago y trago.

«The vine is usually prepared together with one or more additives so that it develops either psychedelic (using plants that contain DMT, primarily Psychotria viridis) or healing (e.g., with Ilex guayusa) powers (see list at ayahuasca» — la regla de la mezcla que Rätsch enuncia: la liana se prepara casi siempre con aditivos, que la vuelven psicodélica con plantas de DMT o curativa con otras.

«The Desana, a Colombian Tukano tribe, drink pure ayahuasca only on ritual occasions, although these do not have to be associated with any particular purpose, such as healing or divination. Only men may consume the drink, although the women are involved as dancers (i.e., as entertainment» — el uso ritual desana que Rätsch consigna: ayahuasca pura solo en ocasión ritual, sin fin determinado, y bebida solo por los hombres, con las mujeres en el papel de danzantes.

«The ritual begins with the recitation of creation myths and is accompanied by songs. It lasts for eight to ten hours» — y la forma de ese ritual: empieza con la recitación de los mitos de creación, va acompañado de cantos y dura de ocho a diez horas.

«In some areas of the Amazon, and among the followers of the Brazilian Umbanda cult, a tea made from the ayahuasca vine is drunk as a remedy for a wide variety of diseases and may also be used externally for massaging into the skin» — el uso medicinal que Rätsch reporta por comunicación personal de Luis Eduardo Luna: té de la liana bebido contra muy diversas enfermedades y usado también en fricciones, entre los seguidores del culto brasileño de la Umbanda.

«The vine functions as a potent MAO inhibitor, whereby only the endogenous enzyme MAO-A is inhibited (see ayahuasca). As a result, both endogenous and externally introduced tryptamines, such as N,N-DMT, are not broken down and are thus able to pass across the blood-brain barrier» — la explicación farmacológica que ordena toda la monografía: la liana inhibe la monoaminooxidasa A, de modo que las triptaminas endógenas y las ingeridas no se degradan y cruzan la barrera hematoencefálica.

«Caapi is a decoction of a Malpighiaceae shrub (Banisteria) and is prepared in the following way by the men only, for the women do not drink any Caapi» — la descripción de Theodor Koch-Grünberg que el libro reproduce: el caapi preparado solo por los hombres, porque las mujeres no lo beben.

«The effects of Caapi resemble hashish inebriation. One can see how the Indians say that everything is much larger and more beautiful that it really is. The house is enormously large and magnificent. They see many, many people, especially many women.—The erotic appears to play a central role in this inebriation. —Large, colorful snakes wind their way up and down the house posts. All of the colors are garishly colorful. Some who drink Caapi suddenly fall into a deep unconsciousness state and then have the most beautiful dreams, and admittedly also the most beautiful headache when they awake» — y su descripción del efecto: todo mucho más grande y hermoso de lo que es, mucha gente y muchas mujeres, serpientes grandes y coloridas trepando por los postes de la casa, con lo erótico en el centro y una resaca a la altura de los sueños.

«Ten to twenty berries is said to be lethal; among children, as few as two or three berries can cause death» — el límite letal con que Rätsch cierra la escala de dosis de la belladona: de diez a veinte bayas se dicen mortales, y en niños bastarían dos o tres.

«The plant has apparently been used in South America for centuries or even millennia to manufacture psychoactive drinks» — la antigüedad que Rätsch atribuye en condicional al uso de la liana: siglos o incluso milenios en Sudamérica para fabricar bebidas psicoactivas.

«collected the first botanical samples of the vine between 1851 and 1854» — Rätsch fecha la primera colecta botánica de la liana de la ayahuasca, hecha por Richard Spruce, entre 1851 y 1854.

«my experience very clearly on the tape recorder. There were no acoustical phenomena and no figures represented» — el testimonio de Reichel-Dolmatoff con que cierra la monografía de la liana, notable por lo que niega: ni fenómenos acústicos ni figuras representadas; el tramo abre en la plana 241 continuando el de la 240.

«Today, some ninety-two species of the genus Banisteriopsis are recognized. Most species occur in the tropical lowlands of Central and South America. A few species are also found in Asia» — el marco de la monografía del género: unas noventa y dos especies, casi todas de las tierras bajas tropicales de América, con algunas en Asia.

«We know, however, of no traditional use as a psychoactive plant» — la negativa que Rätsch declara para *Banisteriopsis argentea* pese a su carga de alcaloides: no se conoce uso tradicional como planta psicoactiva.

«In the language of the Barasana, this species is known as kahi-ukó, “yagé catalyst,” yaiya-sûava-kahi-ma, “red jaguar yagé,” and kumua-basere-kahi-ma, “yagé for shamanizing» — los nombres barasana de esta liana que Rätsch recoge, cada uno con su función dentro: catalizador del yagé, yagé de jaguar rojo y yagé para chamanizar.

«Under the influence of this vine, it is said that one sees thing in shades of red, dances, and is able to see people who are normally invisible» — y el efecto que se le atribuye: ver las cosas en tonos rojos, danzar y poder ver a las personas que de ordinario son invisibles.

«According to the mythology of the Barasana, this vine was brought to people in the yuruparí trumpet» — el mito de origen barasana que Rätsch consigna: la liana traída a los hombres dentro de la trompeta yuruparí, de donde su nombre de yagé de yuruparí.

«The shaman (ido) prepares the drink from bark scrapings that are slowly boiled. He can use the drink to heal a person as well as to send him a disease or even death. A disease can be healed only when the person who has caused the illness also brews the healing drink» — la regla waorani que Rätsch registra: el chamán puede curar con la bebida y también enviar enfermedad o muerte, y la enfermedad solo se cura si quien la causó prepara a su vez la bebida sanadora.

«Intertwining stems of Banisteriopsis muricata, found in Petén (Guatemala) and Chiapas (Mexico), recall numerous illustrations of cosmic umbilical cords from the Classic and post-Classic Mayan period» — el pie de figura que recoge esa misma conjetura por vía iconográfica: los tallos entrelazados de la liana recuerdan las representaciones mayas del cordón umbilical cósmico.

«Frankincense, the true incense, is the golden yellow, pleasantly aromatic resin of the bushlike frankincense tree, great forests (“balsam gardens”) of which thrive near the Red Sea, especially in Arabia (the ancient land of incense known as Sa’kalan) and Somalia (the legendary land of Punt» — el marco de la monografía del incienso: resina del árbol que crece junto al mar Rojo, en la antigua tierra del incienso de Arabia y en la Somalia que el libro identifica con el legendario Punt.

«years, frankincense has been obtained in these regions from incisions made in the bark of the tree (Howes 1950). In ancient times, this was the most coveted of all resins used for incense, and it was transported along the famed Incense Road—probably the most important trade route of antiquity—between Egypt and India» — la antigüedad y la ruta que Rätsch le da: al menos cuatro mil años de extracción por incisión en la corteza, y el transporte por la Ruta del Incienso, que llama probablemente la vía comercial más importante de la antigüedad; el tramo abre en la plana 251 continuando la frase de la 250.

«Arabian women still burn frankincense to perfume their bodies, in particular the vulva (Martinetz et al. 1989). This not only lends them a more pleasant scent but also is said to make them more erotic» — el uso vivo que Rätsch reporta: mujeres árabes que queman incienso para perfumarse el cuerpo, y en particular la vulva, con el efecto erótico que se le atribuye.

«Frankincense has been attributed with psycho-active powers since the early modern period (Lonicerus 1679, 738*; Menon and Kar 1971; Farnsworth 1972, 68*). As a result, frankincense was swallowed, burned, or smoked in the Ottoman Empire, in Arabia, and even in Europe (often in combination with opium» — la psicoactividad del incienso que Rätsch data en la primera modernidad y localiza: tragado, quemado o fumado en el Imperio otomano, en Arabia y aun en Europa, a menudo con opio.

«The history of frankincense and the tree it is obtained from is simultaneously a history of mistaken identities and confusion, as all drop-shaped aromatic resins were once referred to as “frankincense” (Schneider 1974, 1:185f.*). Since all species of Boswellia—and their resins—display considerable variation, the botanical classification is often a question of chance» — la advertencia taxonómica con que Rätsch abre el caso: la historia del incienso es a la vez una historia de identidades equivocadas, y la clasificación botánica es a menudo cosa del azar.

«The ancient Egyptians attempted to plant frankincense trees in Egypt but were unsuccessful in spite of their great knowledge of gardening (Dixon 1969). They excavated small trees together with soil that they then shipped back to Egypt in tubs. The trees died shortly thereafter» — el fracaso egipcio que Rätsch cuenta: excavaron árboles pequeños con su tierra y los llevaron en tinas a Egipto, donde murieron poco después pese a su gran saber de jardinería.

«According to Theophrastus, the resin should be collected during the dog days, i.e., the hottest time of the year. Pliny also noted that the first incision into the bark of the stock plant should be made around the time of the rising of the Dog Star» — la regla de cosecha que Rätsch atribuye a Teofrasto y a Plinio: recoger la resina en la canícula, con la primera incisión hacia la salida de Sirio.

«Frankincense is an important component in many recipes for psychoactive incense. It is also an ingredient in the Oriental joy pills and was formerly used as a spice in wine» — el sitio del incienso en las recetas psicoactivas: componente importante de muchos inciensos, ingrediente de las píldoras orientales de la alegría y antes especia del vino.

«transformed herself into the form of the majesty of her spouse, the king of Upper and Lower Egypt; they [Amun and Thoth] found her as she rested in the splendor of her palace.—She awakened from the scents of the god; she laughed at his majesty. . . . She was filled with joy to see his beauty, his body went into her body, [the palace] was flooded with the scents of the god, all of his scents were [scents] from Punt» — la inscripción del templo de Der el-Bahari que el libro reproduce: la diosa despertada por los aromas del dios, el cuerpo del dios entrando en el suyo y el palacio inundado de olores de Punt; los corchetes son del libro.

«God does not permit himself to be held, nor heard, nor seen, but in the scent of the divine flower or the taste of the sacred juice, it is most likely that the conception of him will be awakened. Using incense, balsam, and sacred oils, through tonic and heart-strengthening plant extracts, the Egyptians speak directly to the gods, they begin to breathe, to speak, to open their mouths and live» — la voz de Paul Faure que el libro cita en recuadro: por el aroma de la flor divina y el sabor del jugo sagrado se despierta la concepción del dios, y con inciensos y aceites los egipcios hacen que los dioses respiren, hablen y vivan.

«For both cultic and economic reasons, frank-incense was the most important incense of the ancient Assyrians, Hebrews, Arabs, Egyptians, and Greeks. The resin was used as a fumigant and offered to the gods at every ceremony» — el sitio del incienso que Rätsch le da en el mundo antiguo: el más importante de asirios, hebreos, árabes, egipcios y griegos por razones cúlticas y económicas, ofrecido a los dioses en toda ceremonia.

«The Assyrians burned it especially for Ishtar, the queen of the heavens, for Adonis, the god of resurrecting nature, and for Bel, the Assyrian high god» — y los destinatarios asirios que nombra: Ishtar, reina de los cielos, Adonis, dios de la naturaleza que resucita, y Bel, el dios supremo asirio.

«is drunk among the Cashinahua to obtain information which would otherwise remain concealed. The hallucinations are regarded as the experiences of one’s own dream spirit; they are clues about the future and memories of the past, and with them the drinker can learn about things, people, and events that are far removed» — el testimonio de Der Marderosian y sus coautores que el libro cita en recuadro: entre los cashinahua la ayahuasca se bebe para obtener lo que de otro modo quedaría oculto, y las alucinaciones se tienen por experiencias del propio espíritu del sueño.

«It is possible that the ancient Maya may have used it to produce a kind of» — la conjetura maya que Rätsch deja abierta: cabe que los antiguos mayas usaran esta liana para producir una especie de mayahuasca; el tramo se corta antes de las comillas de la fuente.

«Greening incense tree, 31 pieces; brought here among the delicacies for the majesty of the god Amun, the lord of the earthly throne. Never has its like been seen since the creation of the universe» — la inscripción de la tumba de Hatshepsut que el pie de figura reproduce: treinta y una piezas de árbol verdeante de incienso traídas entre las delicias para Amón, señor del trono terrenal, sin que se haya visto su igual desde la creación.

«The Assyrian kings, who were also high priests, offered frankincense to the tree of life, which was sprinkled with wine (cf. Vitis vinifera) as it was bathed in smoke» — el rito asirio que Rätsch describe: los reyes, que eran también sumos sacerdotes, ofrecían incienso al árbol de la vida, rociado con vino mientras lo bañaba el humo.

«The pagan, pre-Islamic Arabs consecrated frankincense to Sabis, their sun god, and the entire supply was required to be stored in the temple of the sun. Among the Hebrews, frankincense was one of the ingredients of the sacred incense and a symbol of divinity» — los dos usos que siguen: el incienso consagrado por los árabes preislámicos a su dios solar, con toda la provisión guardada en el templo del sol, y entre los hebreos ingrediente del incienso sagrado y símbolo de la divinidad.

«It later became the most important incense of the Catholic Church» — y el destino que Rätsch le da después: el incienso más importante de la Iglesia católica.

«At the time of Charlemagne, it was burned not only during masses but also during the “trials by ordeal” that were common at the time» — el uso carolingio que registra: incienso quemado no solo en las misas sino también en las ordalías entonces corrientes.

«Egyptian and Greek magicians of the late ancient period used the smoke to conjure demons, the intermediary beings that they wished to put to use» — el uso mágico de la antigüedad tardía que Rätsch consigna: magos egipcios y griegos usando el humo para conjurar demonios, los seres intermediarios que querían poner a su servicio.

«In Egypt, the frankincense tree was consecrated to Amun of Thebes. Incense was also sacred to Hathor, the goddess of drunkenness» — las consagraciones egipcias que registra: el árbol a Amón de Tebas, y el incienso sagrado también para Hathor, diosa de la embriaguez.

«It was said that frankincense “enabled one to recognize god» — la fórmula romana sobre el incienso que Rätsch cita: permitía reconocer a dios.

«Frankincense was also important in the cult of Aphrodite. Offering the goddess incense was a way to ensure that the hetaerae, or temple servant girls, would be provided with sufficient clientele» — y su papel en el culto de Afrodita: ofrecer incienso a la diosa era modo de asegurar clientela suficiente a las hetairas del templo.

«In Ethiopia, frankincense is still burned to “control evil spirits» — el uso vivo que Rätsch reporta en Etiopía, con su paralelo suizo pegado: incienso quemado para controlar a los espíritus malos.

«The smoke of Olibani is good for heavy eyes / when taken in there. It removes sorrow / increases reason / strengthens the heart / and makes one of cheerful blood» — la cita de Lonicerus con que Rätsch documenta el uso psiquiátrico moderno temprano del incienso: quita la tristeza, aumenta la razón, fortalece el corazón y alegra la sangre.

«For years, both the literature and the media have reported claims that pyrochemical modifications and reactions produce THC when frankincense is burned (Martinetz et al. 1989, 138; Faure 1990, 30).54 To date, however, THC has not been detected in any genus other than Cannabis» — Rätsch aborda la afirmación repetida de que al quemarse el incienso produce THC y la acota con un dato: hasta hoy no se ha detectado THC en género alguno fuera del cannabis.

«The results of recent studies at the Pharmaceutical Institute of the University of Bern have demonstrated that no THC is produced when frankincense resin is burned; not even one nanogram was detected» — y da la medición que la contradice: los estudios del Instituto Farmacéutico de la Universidad de Berna no hallaron ni un nanogramo de THC al quemar la resina.

«But since there are numerous types of olibanum, it may be that some of these do contain THC or produce it when burned while others do not. However, the smoke was not “investigated with respect to other psychotropic substances, so that its last secrets are still preserved» — y deja el caso abierto en vez de cerrarlo: con tantos tipos de olíbano, cabe que alguno sí lo produzca, y el humo no se investigó respecto de otras sustancias psicotrópicas.

«Both olibanum and the incense of the church have long been attributed with inebriating, euphoriant, and mood-improving effects» — lo que sí sostiene: al olíbano y al incienso de iglesia se les atribuyen desde antiguo efectos embriagantes, euforizantes y de mejora del ánimo.

«It strengthens the head, reason, and sense, but when it is used needlessly, it awakens painful days in the head and is damaging to the reason, otherwise it cleanses the blood, strengthens the heart, takes away sorrow, and makes the blood cheerful» — la entrada del Universallexikon del siglo XVIII que Rätsch cita, con su reverso dentro: fortalece la cabeza y el sentido, pero usado sin necesidad despierta días dolorosos y daña la razón.

«Cases of “olibanum addiction” are still observed and noted in the toxicological literature (Martinetz et al. 1989, 138). It is not unlikely that many people attended church services in the past because of the inebriating effects of olibanum» — y la conjetura con que cierra los efectos: registrada todavía en la literatura toxicológica la adicción al olíbano, no es improbable que mucha gente fuera a misa por el efecto embriagante del incienso.

«All of the angel’s trumpets are from South America. They are now known only as cultigens and not as wild plants» — el marco de la monografía de los floripondios: todos son sudamericanos y se conocen solo como cultígenos, no como plantas silvestres; el tramo se corta antes del apóstrofo.

«This implies that the plant must have long played a role in human cultures. For this reason, it is very likely that angel’s trumpets were already being used for ritual and psychoactive purposes in prehistoric times» — y el argumento que Rätsch saca de ese dato botánico: si no hay forma silvestre, la planta llevaba mucho en manos humanas, y es muy probable que ya se usara ritual y psicoactivamente en la prehistoria.

«The earliest description of the Indian use of this potent hallucinogen is probably that of Bernabé Cobo» — y fija en condicional la primera descripción del uso indígena de este alucinógeno: probablemente la de Bernabé Cobo.

«Many plant lovers, gardeners, anthropologists, and even botanists confuse all Brugmansia species with the thorn apple (Datura). The two genera, however, can be easily distinguished by the position of their flowers. The flowers of all species of Brugmansia hang more or less straight down, while the flowers of the Datura species point more or less upward, often steeply» — la confusión que Rätsch deshace con un criterio de campo: floripondios y toloaches se distinguen por la posición de la flor, colgante en *Brugmansia* y erecta en *Datura*.

«Extreme caution should be exercised when ingesting any species of Brugmansia. Angel’s trumpets are the most potent hallucinogens in the plant kingdom, producing hallucinations that are no longer recognized as such» — la tesis con que Rätsch encabeza los floripondios: son los alucinógenos más potentes del reino vegetal, y producen alucinaciones que ya no se reconocen como tales.

«South American shamans urgently warn unknowledgeable people against using these plants. Angel’s trumpets are used for psychoactive purposes almost exclusively by experienced shamans» — y la consecuencia social que registra: los chamanes sudamericanos advierten con urgencia a los inexpertos, y la planta la usan casi solo chamanes experimentados.

«In the toxico-logical literature, one can read that heavy overdoses can be fatal; such cases, however, are only poorly documented» — la reserva que Rätsch pone al dato letal: la literatura toxicológica habla de sobredosis mortales, pero esos casos están mal documentados.

«The Indians regard angel’s trumpet as sacred. The priests of the Andean peoples smoked the leaves so that they could make prophecies, divine, and diagnose» — el uso ritual del floripondio: tenido por sagrado, y con la hoja fumada por los sacerdotes de los pueblos andinos para profetizar, adivinar y diagnosticar; el tramo se corta antes del apóstrofo.

«It is astonishing that relatively few artifacts or artistic renditions are associated with angel’s trumpet. Where such objects do exist, it is usually almost impossible to determine which species is being represented» — la extrañeza que Rätsch declara ante la escasez de artefactos del floripondio, y el problema añadido de no poder determinar la especie representada.

«This situation is a strong indication that most current drug laws are not founded upon scientific knowledge» — y la consecuencia que saca: eso indica con fuerza que la mayoría de las leyes de drogas vigentes no se fundan en conocimiento científico.

«His body was burning with heat, his throat parched with dryness, and for the first time, he recalled the cup of Huacacachu [= Brugmansia] that he had ingested. Then he knew that he had journeyed through the land of visions, and not through the desert, as he had thought» — el pasaje de la novela The Inca de Daniel Peters que el libro cita en recuadro: el personaje recuerda la copa de huacacachu y comprende que su viaje fue por la tierra de las visiones y no por el desierto.

«The aim and purpose of the Brugmansia inebriation was—as a rule—to establish contact with the gods or the spirits of the ancestors. With their help, one could try to positively influence one’s own future and that of the tribe. In the inebriated state, one saw oneself transported into a different level of consciousness that made it possible to communicate with the supernatural powers, to ask them for help, and to receive their teachings. Brugmansias were the keys that opened the door to this other world» — la tesis de Ulrike y Hans-Georg Preissel que el libro cita en recuadro: el fin de la embriaguez con floripondio era, por regla, entrar en contacto con los dioses o los espíritus de los antepasados, y la planta era la llave de esa puerta.

«In Ecuador, the juice pressed from the pith of a 5 cm long, finger-thick piece of stem is used as a» — la dosis profética que Rätsch registra en Ecuador: el jugo prensado de la médula de un trozo de tallo del grosor de un dedo; el tramo se corta antes de las comillas de la fuente.

«The shamans of the Canelo Indians use angel’s trumpet to establish contact with their spirit helpers and animal spirits. With their aid, they are able to detect sorcerers who carry out harmful magic in secret and magically send “worms” and other diseases into their victims» — el uso ritual canelo: floripondio para contactar a los espíritus auxiliares y animales, y con su ayuda detectar a los hechiceros que envían gusanos y enfermedades al cuerpo de sus víctimas; el tramo se corta antes del apóstrofo.

«In Ecuador, the juice of the plant is ingested to induce prophetic dreams that can then be interpreted as portents concerning the next phase of one» — y el uso onírico ecuatoriano: el jugo ingerido para inducir sueños proféticos que se interpretan como presagios de la fase siguiente de la vida; el tramo se corta antes del apóstrofo.

«Most of the ethnographic reports about tree daturas list the species used under the name Brugmansia (Datura) arborea (L.) Lagerh. This name is assigned without distinction to every white-flowered Datura. While this species is indeed used with great pleasure, it is one of the rarer species» — la objeción de Timothy Plowman que el libro cita en recuadro: los informes etnográficos asignan sin distinción el nombre de *Brugmansia arborea* a toda datura arbórea de flor blanca, siendo una de las especies más raras.

«The Indians use [the angel’s trumpet] to get drunk, and when they take too much, they completely lose their senses, so that they cannot see or hear with open eyes. They are accustomed to exploit this for evil purposes. Not long ago, it happened that one of my friends was given chamico so that he could be robbed. When he awoke, he was so angry that he ran around naked, with only his shirt, and fell into a river. They seized him and kept him locked up until, after two days, he reawakened from his condition. Juice from the leaves, mixed with vinegar and applied above the liver, mitigates mild fever and is very good for high fever. A mate [= tea] of this solution heals chronic fever» — el testimonio de Bernabé Cobo que el libro reproduce: el chamico usado para emborrachar y robar, con el caso del amigo que corrió desnudo y cayó a un río, y el uso del zumo sobre el hígado contra la fiebre; los corchetes son del libro.

«In Peru, intoxicating a person against his or her will is known as chamicado, which means “touched by the angel» — el término peruano que Rätsch recoge para la intoxicación contra la voluntad de alguien, chamicado, glosado como tocado por el floripondio; el tramo se corta antes del apóstrofo.

«It is strange that this most potent and most dangerous of all plant hallucinogens is not included on any list of illegal drugs» — la objeción legal de Rätsch: el más potente y peligroso de los alucinógenos vegetales no figura en lista alguna de drogas ilegales; el tramo se corta en el límite de plana y la frase sigue en la 268 con el cannabis y la coca.

«Golden angel’s trumpet was first discovered and described at the end of the nineteenth century by the Swedish botanist Nils Gustaf von Lagerheim» — Rätsch data y atribuye el hallazgo del floripondio dorado: fin del siglo XIX, por el botánico sueco Nils Gustaf von Lagerheim.

«This form has very long, thin leaves that look like snakes; for this reason, the Sibundoy Indians call this form culebraborrachero and the Kamsá call it mitskway-borrachero, both of which mean “snake inebriant» — la forma culebra del floripondio blanco: hojas largas y delgadas como serpientes, de donde los nombres sibundoy y kamsá que Rätsch glosa como embriagante de serpiente.

«Shamans in Colombia use primarily cold-water extracts of the leaves. Normally, only pairs of leaves—and even numbers of pairs—are used. Depending upon the size of the leaves, the Sibundoy Indians regard two to twenty-four (= twelve pairs) leaves per person as a shamanic dosage» — la regla de dosis sibundoy que Rätsch registra, con su forma numérica dentro: solo pares de hojas y en número par de pares, de dos a veinticuatro por persona como dosis chamánica.

«The shamans never drink all of the liquid at once but, rather, take a few sips at a time over a period of some three hours. This procedure evidently enables them to achieve the dosage that is appropriate for them» — la técnica de dosificación que Rätsch describe de Schultes: el chamán no bebe todo de golpe sino a sorbos durante unas tres horas, con lo que alcanza la dosis que le corresponde.

«If the shaman has not fallen into trance after three hours, a helper will prepare another drink and give small sips of it to him until the desired state of consciousness has been achieved» — y lo que se hace si el trance no llega: un ayudante prepara otra bebida y se la da a sorbos hasta alcanzar el estado buscado.

«Northern Peruvian curanderos (folk healers) drink a decoction of the leaves to induce a clairvoyant trance» — el uso peruano que registra: los curanderos beben la decocción de las hojas para inducir un trance clarividente.

«In Colombia (Sibundoy), extracts of the leaves are drunk at shamanic and religious ceremonies of the Kamsá and Inga Indians, primarily to learn about methods for performing witchcraft, divination, prophecy, and shamanic therapy» — el uso ritual kamsá e inga: extractos de hoja bebidos en ceremonias chamánicas y religiosas, sobre todo para aprender métodos de brujería, adivinación, profecía y terapia chamánica.

«Corresponding to the strongest of all shamanic animals, this plant thus represents a very potent shamanic vehicle» — la lectura que Rätsch propone del nombre embriagante de jaguar: por corresponder al más fuerte de los animales chamánicos, la planta es un vehículo chamánico muy potente.

«They normally turn to it only when faced with a truly difficult case, for it can occur that the body of the shaman who has used it lies in a comatose or delirious state for two to three days while his soul explores the secret corners of nonordinary reality» — y la práctica kamsá con su costo dentro: solo se recurre a ella en casos verdaderamente difíciles, porque el cuerpo del chamán puede quedar dos o tres días comatoso o delirante mientras su alma explora la realidad no ordinaria.

«During this procedure, an assistant is always present. He does not merely watch over the shaman’s body but also pays heed to any messages the shaman may utter» — el papel del asistente en ese trance: no solo vela el cuerpo del chamán sino que atiende a los mensajes que el chamán pronuncie.

«The Huastec, who live on the Gulf of Mexico, believe that a person who has eaten Brugmansia candida leaves “sees” reality» — la creencia huasteca que Rätsch consigna: quien ha comido hojas de este floripondio ve la realidad; el tramo se corta antes de las comillas de la fuente.

«Our ancestors were accustomed to it, so it is said, to drink many medicines, even more than we do. By drinking these medicines they could see, so it is said, the forms in which things appear. And once they drank yagé and angel’s trumpets, and suddenly, so it is said, a falcon flew past, and the bird fell dead in the courtyard. And then they said: O God, what is going to pass? And as they asked this, the best among the drinkers of medicine answered: People from another world will come, flying, and they come to drive us from our land» — el poema de Francisco Tandioy que el libro reproduce: los antepasados bebían yagé y floripondio para ver las formas en que las cosas aparecen, y ante el halcón caído muerto el mejor de los bebedores profetiza la llegada de gente de otro mundo que los expulsará de su tierra.

«The Mexican art nouveau artist Saturnino Herrán (1887–1919) painted a fresco, Nuestros dioses, in the center of which Coatlicue, the Aztec earth goddess, is portrayed adorned with angel» — el artefacto mexicano que Rätsch señala: el fresco Nuestros dioses de Saturnino Herrán, con Coatlicue, la diosa azteca de la tierra, adornada de floripondios; el tramo se corta antes del apóstrofo.

«The Tzeltal Indians of Chiapas (Mexico) use the leaves to treat diseases that are caused by» — el uso medicinal tzeltal que Rätsch registra: las hojas contra las enfermedades causadas por los vientos del cuerpo; el tramo se corta antes de las comillas de la fuente.

«The Sibundoy Indians say that they encounter numerous giant snakes in the visions they receive while under the influence of this powerful magical plant» — el contenido de visión que Rätsch adjudica a esta planta entre los sibundoy: serpientes gigantes en número.

«The first time, I drank six leaves [of the Culebra form] at night. I became drunk. I saw forests full of trees, people from other places, animals, tree stumps, meadows full of all kinds of snakes which came towards me at the edge of the pasture—all in green— to bite me. As the inebriation became stronger, the house began to lean against the rest of the world, as did the things in the house. . . . But the snakes still wanted to kill me» — el testimonio sibundoy de la primera vez que el libro reproduce: bosques, gente de otros sitios, praderas llenas de serpientes verdes que venían a morderlo, y la casa inclinándose contra el resto del mundo.

«The Siona make a distinction among at least four “species” of this plant, the names of which refer to totemic and shamanic elements» — la clasificación siona del floripondio magnífico que Rätsch recoge: al menos cuatro especies cuyos nombres remiten a elementos totémicos y chamánicos.

«The origin myth of the Huachipaire has the following to say about xayápa [Brugmansia x insignis]: Xayápa was a man who had come to the settlement and announced that he would remain as a medicine. He then changed himself into a plant» — el mito de origen huachipaire que el libro cita de Califano y Fernández Distel: Xayápa era un hombre que llegó al poblado anunciando que se quedaría como medicina, y se convirtió en planta.

«For “normal” people, this dosage would likely result in extreme delirium and dangerous toxic symptoms» — el límite que Rätsch pone a la dosis chamánica de floripondio: en una persona corriente produciría delirio extremo y síntomas tóxicos peligrosos.

«Methysticodendron amesianum), can be produced and drunk only during a waning moon» — la regla calendárica kamsá para el embriagante de jaguar: solo puede prepararse y beberse en luna menguante; el tramo abre en la plana 277 continuando la frase de la 276.

«The Siona and Secoya also use this angel’s trumpet as an ayahuasca additive. The leaves are burned to ashes in a pot and powdered. This powder is mixed into the finished ayahuasca to potentiate the visions» — el uso siona y secoya que Rätsch registra: las hojas del floripondio magnífico quemadas a ceniza y mezcladas en la ayahuasca ya hecha para potenciar las visiones; el tramo se corta antes del apóstrofo.

«The Kofán also drip juice pressed from fresh flowers into the nostrils of their hunting dogs “so that they can hunt better» — el uso cinegético kofán: jugo de flores frescas goteado en las fosas nasales de los perros de caza para que cacen mejor.

«The Mashco take stalks of various thicknesses, cut these into pieces about 70 cm in length, and carry them into the ritual house, which is located outside of the settlement in the jungle. There, the bark is peeled from the pieces of stalk, pounded, and boiled in water for several hours. The long period of boiling yields a thick concentrate that possesses “enough hallucinogenic power» — la preparación mashco del xayápa: tallos llevados a la casa ritual fuera del poblado, corteza pelada, machacada y hervida horas hasta dar un concentrado espeso de suficiente poder alucinógeno.

«The Huachipaire Mashco have several rules associated with the ritual consumption of the xayápa drink that must be observed without exception: Ingestion must take place at night; the drinker must lie on the ground or a platform, uncovered, with open arms, and be able to observe the nocturnal sky above; the liquid must be drunk with the lips directly from the pot without touching the pot; the assistant or assistants may not speak to the drinker, even when the latter encourages them to do so» — las reglas rituales huachipaire para beber el xayápa, que Rätsch declara de cumplimiento sin excepción: de noche, tendido y descubierto con los brazos abiertos mirando el cielo, bebiendo con los labios directo de la olla, y con los asistentes en silencio.

«when the sun rises, the drinker must be dipped completely naked into the water of a nearby stream or river so that the last effects of the drink dissipate. In the weeks following ingestion, the drinker must adhere to a specific diet. In no case may he consume certain fishes and birds, bananas, and sugarcane, lest he fall victim to fever, skin spots, or stomach ailments» — y las reglas del día siguiente: baño desnudo en el río al salir el sol para disipar el efecto, y una dieta de semanas que excluye ciertos peces y aves, plátano y caña, so pena de fiebre, manchas o mal de estómago.

«The drink is customarily ingested to localize a lost or stolen object, discern the future, heal illnesses, or renew the body. The Mashco believe that under the influence of Brugmansia, the body is renewed or rejuvenated and thereby healed of all diseases» — los fines del xayápa y la creencia que los sostiene: localizar lo perdido o robado, ver el futuro, curar y renovar el cuerpo, porque bajo el floripondio el cuerpo se renueva y queda curado de toda enfermedad.

«The pith [of this angel’s trumpet] gives visions of the future and makes it possible for one to hear the words that a person has said to other people» — la voz del indio kofán que el libro cita en recuadro: la médula del floripondio da visiones del futuro y permite oír las palabras que alguien ha dicho a otros; los corchetes son del libro.

«In Colombia, this sacred plant was used in pre-Columbian times in ritual contexts in the cult of the sun» — el marco de la monografía del floripondio rojo: planta sagrada usada en Colombia en contextos rituales del culto del sol desde antes de la conquista.

«It was apparently this species of angel’s trumpet that José de Acosta mentioned in 1590 under the name floripondio» — la primera noticia colonial que Rätsch le adjudica en condicional: la mención de José de Acosta en 1590 bajo el nombre de floripondio.

«The incredible effects of the tonga drink, prepared from Brugmansia sanguinea, were first described in 1846 by the Swiss Johann J. von Tschudi» — y la primera descripción moderna de los efectos de la tonga, que fecha en 1846 y atribuye al suizo Johann J. von Tschudi.

«Indians of the Ecuadoran highlands believe that this angel’s trumpet provides a toxic or inebriating honey when bees collect its nectar» — la creencia de los indios de la sierra ecuatoriana que Rätsch consigna: el néctar de este floripondio da miel tóxica o embriagante; el tramo se corta antes del apóstrofo.

«Only shamans are allowed to drink tonga, for it is said that it would cause normal people to lose their mind» — la restricción ritual de la tonga: solo los chamanes pueden beberla, porque se dice que a una persona corriente le haría perder la razón.

«The folk healers (curanderos) of northern Peru add the leaves and flowers to their San Pedro drinks (cf. Trichocereus pachanoi) so that they may “see» — el uso de los curanderos del norte del Perú: hojas y flores añadidas a la bebida de San Pedro para ver mejor, y tallos leñosos para las varas mágicas de la mesa; el tramo se corta antes de las comillas de la fuente.

«In pre-Spanish and late colonial times, the priests in the sun temple of Sogamoza (north of Bogotá, Colombia) ingested tonga during religious rituals» — el uso sacerdotal que Rätsch documenta: los sacerdotes del templo del sol de Sogamoza tomaban tonga en los rituales religiosos.

«During the pre-Spanish period, the Chibchas gave the widows and slaves of deceased rulers a mixture of Brugmansia, chicha (maize beer), and tobacco extract (Nicotiana tabacum) so that they would be sedated but still alive as they were buried along with the deceased» — el uso funerario chibcha que registra: mezcla de floripondio, chicha y extracto de tabaco dada a viudas y esclavos de los señores muertos para que fueran enterrados sedados pero vivos.

«In the Darién and Chocó regions, the seeds were boiled to produce a decoction that was administered with chicha to children so that they could enter a clairvoyant state in which they would receive the power to “see” gold and treasures» — el uso adivinatorio que Rätsch trae de Lewin: decocción de semillas dada con chicha a los niños para que entraran en estado clarividente y recibieran el poder de ver oro y tesoros.

«In many parts of South America (e.g., southern Chile), the seeds may be secretly mixed into a person’s coffee (cf. Coffee arabica) to harm, induce aphrodisiac effects in, or make fun of him or her. Depending upon the dosage, the victim may fall into a coma, become sexually aroused, or carry out comical stereotypical acts» — el uso encubierto que consigna sin aprobarlo: semillas mezcladas a escondidas en el café para dañar, excitar o burlarse de alguien, con coma, excitación sexual o actos estereotipados según la dosis.

«An Indian drawing of a woman under a borrachero tree has been incorrectly interpreted as a depiction of Brugmansia vulcanicola (Schultes and Hofmann 1992, 128*). The species shown is in fact Iochroma fuchsioides» — la enmienda iconográfica que Rätsch hace a Schultes y Hofmann: el dibujo indígena de la mujer bajo el árbol borrachero no representa *Brugmansia vulcanicola* sino *Iochroma fuchsioides*.

«The flowers contain the highest concentrations of alkaloids (0.83%), followed by the fruits (0.74%), while the leaves contain only 0.4% (Rivera et al. 1989). This is probably the most potent of all Brugmansia species» — el saldo químico que Rätsch da para la subespecie *vulcanicola*, en condicional: con la flor al ochenta y tres centésimas de por ciento de alcaloides, es probablemente la más potente de todas las especies de floripondio.

«The effects lasted a total of twelve hours and were characterized by visual hallucinations, illusory feelings, acoustic and olfactory hallucinations, and a profound dryness of the mouth. They occasionally fell into periods of sleep from sixty to ninety minutes long, with prophetic dreams, but they also experienced nervous discomfort and euphoria» — el inventario de efectos de ese mismo testimonio: doce horas de alucinaciones visuales, acústicas y olfativas, boca muy seca, periodos de sueño con sueños proféticos, malestar nervioso y euforia.

«The natives call it Huacacachu, yerba de Huaca, or Borrachero and prepare from its fruits a potent narcotic drink known as tonga. Its effects are terrible. I once had the opportunity of seeing them in an Indian who wanted to contact the spirits of the ancestors. The horrible sight of this scene has burned itself so deeply into my memory that I will never forget it» — la apertura del testimonio de Johann von Tschudi que el libro reproduce entero: la tonga preparada de los frutos del floripondio rojo, y la escena de un indio que quiso contactar a los espíritus de los antepasados, grabada en su memoria.

«Shortly after consuming the tonga, the man fell into a dark brooding, his eyes stared dully at the ground, his mouth was tightly, almost convulsively shut, his nostrils gaped widely, cold sweat covered his forehead and earthly pallid face, the jugular veins of his throat were swollen as thick as a finger, his chest rose slowly and gaspingly, his arms hung rigidly alongside his body» — la primera fase de esa escena según Tschudi: mirada fija en el suelo, boca convulsivamente cerrada, sudor frío, venas del cuello hinchadas y brazos rígidos.

«Long did this terrible state last, until the severity of the symptoms diminished and calmness appeared. Immediately, women hurried over, washed the Indian’s entire body with cold water, and laid him comfortably onto several fleeces» — y el final de la escena: cuando los síntomas ceden, las mujeres acuden, lavan el cuerpo del indio con agua fría y lo acuestan sobre vellones.

«There followed a peaceful sleep that lasted for several hours. That evening, I saw the man again as he was just describing his visions and his conversations with the spirits of his ancestors to a circle of attentive listeners. He appeared to be very exhausted and worn out, his eyes were glazed, his body slack, and his movements sluggish» — y el día después según Tschudi: tras horas de sueño, el hombre contaba sus visiones y sus conversaciones con los espíritus de los antepasados a un círculo de oyentes, exhausto y con la mirada vidriosa.

«In earlier times (and still today among the wild tribes), only the physicians and magicians made use of the thorn apple (Peruvian thorn apple = angel’s trumpet) to induce ecstasy when performing their conjurations, in which they pretended that this had enabled them to enter into a closer relationship to the gods and, as they put it, ‘to speak confidentially with the powerful spirits» — el uso que Tschudi adjudica a médicos y magos: el floripondio para inducir éxtasis en sus conjuros, con los que pretendían entrar en relación más estrecha con los dioses y hablar confidencialmente con los espíritus poderosos.

«But after Christianity suppressed the magicians and the belief in one god had spread widely, at least in appearance, the Indians themselves stated that they used the tonga to establish contact with the gods of their ancestors and to obtain from them insights into the treasures that were hidden in the graves (huacas). Hence the name: huacacachu (grave plant» — y el desplazamiento que registra tras la cristianización: los propios indios decían usar la tonga para contactar a los dioses de sus antepasados y sacarles noticia de los tesoros escondidos en las huacas, de donde el nombre de planta de la tumba.

«In South America, aromatic angel’s trumpet has apparently been used for ritual and medicinal purposes since pre-Columbian times» — el marco de la monografía del floripondio aromático: uso ritual y medicinal sudamericano al parecer desde antes de la conquista; el tramo se corta antes del apóstrofo.

«In the Himalayas, the dried leaves are used in tantric smoking blends in the same manner as those of Datura metel» — el uso himalayo de esta especie: hoja seca en las mezclas fumables tántricas, igual que la del toloache.

«The Jíbaro or Shuar and Achuar drink a tea of the plant they call maikuna to obtain a vision that can help them acquire an arutam wakani, “visionary soul» — el uso jíbaro que Rätsch consigna: té de maikuna bebido para obtener una visión que ayude a adquirir un arutam wakani, que el libro glosa como alma visionaria.

«Once acquired, this soul will be sent forth to make inquiries in the “other world» — y la función de esa alma: se la envía a hacer averiguaciones en el otro mundo; el tramo se corta antes de las comillas de la fuente.

«Among the Achuar, the visions of the arutam are especially important because they restore to a warrior (the former hunter of shrunken heads) the power that he has lost as a result of ritual war killing» — el papel que las visiones del arutam tienen entre los achuar según Rätsch: devuelven al guerrero el poder perdido al matar ritualmente en la guerra.

«Arutam is initially a vision, the fruit of a change in consciousness induced by fasting, the repeated ingestion of tobacco juice, and especially the high doses of scopolamine that are liberated in the thorn apple [sic] [207] preparation. . . . The circumstances under which arutam appear [are] exceptionally stereotypical» — la descripción de Philippe Descola que el libro cita: el arutam empieza por ser visión, fruto de un cambio de consciencia por ayuno, jugo de tabaco y escopolamina, y sus circunstancias son excepcionalmente estereotipadas.

«Exhausted by the inebriation, physically weakened by a lack of food, the senses focused completely on the desired encounter, the supplicant waits alongside the path until he suddenly perceives the rustling of a distant wind, which swells into a hurricane and descends with all its power over the clearing, while a strange figure or a monster slowly approaches: Perhaps a gigantic jaguar whose eyes spout fire, it might also be two intertwined giant anacondas, an overpowering harpy, a sneering bunch of armed strangers, a dismembered human body whose limbs crawl along the ground, or a flaming head that falls from the skies and rolls around twitching» — y el catálogo de figuras de esa visión estereotipada: el viento que crece hasta huracán y, tras él, un jaguar gigante de ojos de fuego, dos anacondas entrelazadas, un arpía, un cuerpo desmembrado o una cabeza en llamas caída del cielo.

«The wind calms down as quickly as it had arisen, and out of the sudden quiet steps an old man. It is arutam» — el desenlace de esa visión en el mismo testimonio: el viento se calma tan rápido como vino y del silencio sale un anciano, que es el arutam.

«The Jíbaro drink the freshly pressed juice of the stems to become brave and to peer into the future» — los dos fines jíbaros del jugo fresco de los tallos: volverse valiente y mirar el futuro.

«Unruly children are given some of this drink so that they will learn how to behave properly while delirious» — y el uso disciplinario que Rätsch registra de Harner: a los niños indóciles se les da algo de esa bebida para que aprendan a comportarse mientras deliran.

«The shamans of the Tzeltal of southern Mexico smoke the leaves “in order to see things,” i.e., for divination and divinatory diagnosis of the causes of illness. But they warn: People who smoke too much will see demons and ultimately “go crazy» — el uso tzeltal con su advertencia dentro: los chamanes fuman la hoja para ver cosas, es decir, para adivinar y diagnosticar, y advierten que quien fuma demasiado verá demonios y acabará loco.

«In Nepal, the leaves of this angel’s trumpet together with those of Cannabis indica are smoked by sadhus and tantric practitioners for meditation or for yoga exercises» — el uso nepalí que registra: sadhus y practicantes tántricos fuman la hoja con cáñamo para la meditación o para los ejercicios de yoga; el tramo se corta antes del apóstrofo.

«In Colombia, it is commonly believed that the scent of aromatic angel’s trumpet induces sleep and intense dreams often with erotic overtones» — la creencia colombiana que Rätsch consigna sobre el aroma del floripondio: induce sueño y sueños intensos, a menudo de tono erótico.

«In Peru, it is thought that those who sleep under an aromatic angel’s trumpet will become permanently insane» — y la creencia peruana contraria que registra sin armonizar: quien duerme bajo un floripondio aromático queda loco para siempre.

«Although this angel’s trumpet appears to be an important Amazonian shamanic plant, almost no ethnobotanical or ethnopharmacological studies of it have been carried out to date. This may be due at least in part to the fact that the uses of the plant that have been noted in ethnographic reports may have been listed under incorrect botanical names» — el hueco de investigación que Rätsch declara para *Brugmansia versicolor*: planta chamánica amazónica importante y casi sin estudio, en parte porque los informes etnográficos la habrán consignado con nombres botánicos equivocados; el tramo se corta antes del apóstrofo.

«This angel’s trumpet was first described by Alexander von Humboldt» — la primera descripción botánica del floripondio aromático, que Rätsch adjudica a Alexander von Humboldt.

«This plant is not a joke» — la frase de un indio shuar que el libro cita en recuadro sobre el floripondio aromático, tomada del artículo de Bennett sobre las plantas alucinógenas de los shuar.

«The Mashco granted permission to anthropologists Mario Califano and» — el experimento con permiso que Rätsch reporta: los mashco permitieron a los antropólogos Mario Califano y Alicia Fernández Distel probar el xayápa bajo su instrucción; el tramo se corta en el límite de plana y sigue en la 287.

«This species is one of the most important shamanic plants in the Amazonian regions of Ecuador and Peru. In spite of this, almost nothing is known about its usage» — la contradicción que Rätsch declara para *Brugmansia versicolor*: una de las plantas chamánicas más importantes de la Amazonía ecuatoriana y peruana, y casi nada se sabe de su uso.

«It is said that the scent of this species not only induces sedative effects but also can, at high dosages (e.g., when a person sleeps underneath this angel’s trumpet at night), result in temporary or permanent insanity» — el efecto que se atribuye al aroma de esta especie: sedante, y a dosis alta —dormir de noche bajo el árbol— locura temporal o permanente.

«A myth of the Juruna tribe tells how under certain circumstances the scent can also lead one to become a shaman» — y el mito juruna que Rätsch introduce a continuación: en ciertas circunstancias ese aroma puede llevar a alguien a volverse chamán.

«One day Uaiçá went hunting. In the forest, he saw many, yes, very many dead animals lying beneath a tree. Uaiçá stood and looked, unable to comprehend how this could happen. As he was thinking about it, he walked around the tree. No sooner had he walked beneath the tree than he felt dazed, and he immediately fell down and slept. He had many dreams. He dreamt of singing people, of the tapir and all the other animals. In a dream, he also saw Sinaá, an ancestor of the Juruna. He spoke long with him» — el mito juruna que el libro reproduce: Uaiçá halla muchos animales muertos bajo un árbol, cae dormido al pasar debajo y sueña con gente que canta, con el tapir y con Sinaá, antepasado de los juruna.

«For several days, Uaiçá came to the tree, under which he always had the same dreams after he had fallen asleep. He had fasted since the first day. He ate nothing. During the last visit, Sinaá told Uaiçá in a dream: ‘Do not come under this tree any more. This is enough» — la continuación del mito: Uaiçá vuelve días seguidos a soñar lo mismo, ayunando desde el primero, hasta que Sinaá le dice en sueños que no vuelva más bajo el árbol.

«After Uaiçá woke up, he scraped off a little of the bark of the tree and went to the riverbank. There he made a tea from the bark and drank of it. Then he was inebriated, and he jumped into the water and caught fish with his hands. . . . Uaiçá never went back to the tree. He now drank the tea he had brewed from the bark scrapings, and in this way he acquired many abilities» — y el desenlace, que es el origen del oficio: Uaiçá raspa la corteza, hace té junto al río, se embriaga, pesca con las manos y no vuelve al árbol, porque con ese té adquiere ya sus poderes.

«Perhaps the Brugmansias would have become extinct long ago if they had not impressed so many people with their ornamental value. These decorative and yet easily cultivatable plants are making their ways into ornamental gardens with increasing frequency—both planted in the ground and as potted plants, depending upon the geographical situation. It would be wonderful if the survival of an interesting genus of plant could be ensured at least in this manner» — la observación de Ulrike y Hans-Georg Preissel que el libro cita en recuadro: los floripondios quizá se habrían extinguido si no hubieran impresionado como ornamentales, y sería bueno que así se asegurara la supervivencia del género.

«As a result of the now global distribution of these plants, even specialized botanists (including myself) are no longer able to keep track of the genus and the hybrids that have been produced from it» — Rätsch se incluye a sí mismo en la declaración de límite: ni los botánicos especializados, él incluido, pueden ya seguir la pista del género y de sus híbridos.

«The many commercial names of plants and seeds that can be obtained from nurseries and seed dealers are more the result of the seller’s imagination than botanical nomenclature» — y el juicio que hace de la nomenclatura comercial: los nombres de viveros y semilleros son más obra de la imaginación del vendedor que nomenclatura botánica.

«To truly untangle the taxonomy of angel’s trumpets, extensive comparative genetic studies would be necessary. These, however, are both expensive and time-consuming and would presumably not justify the economic benefits that would result» — lo que haría falta para deshacer el enredo taxonómico, con su razón económica dentro: estudios genéticos comparados, caros y lentos, que no compensarían el beneficio; el tramo se corta antes del apóstrofo.

«Today, most botanists accept four species of angel’s trumpets: B. arborea, B. aurea, B. san-guinea, B. suaveolens. All the other names refer to forms, subspecies, hybrids, and races» — el estado del arte que Rätsch consigna: la mayoría de los botánicos acepta hoy cuatro especies de floripondio y remite todos los demás nombres a formas, subespecies, híbridos y razas; el tramo se corta antes del apóstrofo.

«It may be that only B. aurea, B. sanguinea, and B. suaveolens are true, independent species» — y la duda que deja abierta sobre esas cuatro: cabe que solo tres sean especies verdaderas e independientes.

«When the Portuguese arrived in northern Brazil, they were able to observe the use of Brunfelsia uniflora among the Indians» — el marco histórico de la monografía de la brunfelsia: los portugueses pudieron observar su uso entre los indios al llegar al norte de Brasil.

«The inhabitants of the Amazon manufactured arrow poisons from extracts of the root. The payés, or shamans, used the root for healing and in magical activities» — y los dos usos que registra: veneno de flecha hecho con extractos de la raíz, y esa misma raíz usada por los payés para curar y para actividades mágicas.

«The word manaca is derived from manacán, which means “the most beautiful woman of the tribe» — la etimología que Rätsch da para el nombre de la droga: manaca viene de manacán, la mujer más hermosa de la tribu, por la belleza del arbusto.

«At night some species (e.g., Brunfelsia americana) exude a sweet scent that has inebriating effects and is reminiscent of the scent of Brugmansia suaveolens» — el rasgo que emparenta a la brunfelsia con el floripondio: algunas especies exhalan de noche un aroma dulce de efecto embriagante.

«For this reason, it can be assumed that the species’ identifications provided in the ethnobotanical literature are not reliable. Accordingly, as a rule this monograph will not differentiate among species that are used for the same purpose (unless absolutely accurate data are available» — la decisión editorial que Rätsch declara para la brunfelsia: como las identificaciones de especie de la literatura etnobotánica no son fiables, la monografía no distingue entre especies usadas para el mismo fin; el tramo se corta antes del apóstrofo.

«The Jíbaro produce a type of ayahuasca using Banisteriopsis spp., Brunfelsia grandiflora, and a botanically unidentified vine known as hiaji. First the Banisteriopsis pieces are boiled for fourteen hours, after which the other ingredients are added and the entire mixture boiled down until a thick solution results» — la receta jíbara de ayahuasca que Rätsch recoge de Plowman: catorce horas de hervor de la liana antes de añadir la brunfelsia y un bejuco sin determinar llamado hiaji.

«When used for psychoactive and magical purposes, the wild-growing Brunfelsia chiricaspi is preferred over the cultivated varieties of Brunfelsia grandiflora» — la preferencia ritual que registra: para el uso psicoactivo y mágico se prefiere la brunfelsia silvestre a las variedades cultivadas.

«The shamans of the Shuar drink a tea of the leaves and stems in order to induce “strong feelings” that they can then use for healing purposes» — el uso shuar que Rätsch consigna: té de hojas y tallos bebido para inducir sentimientos fuertes que luego se emplean en la curación.

«The shamans of the Lama Indians, who live in northern Peru, regard B. grandiflora as a spiritual leader. They consume it during their initiation and receive from it special powers that they can use to heal as well as to cause diseases» — el uso lama que registra, con su doble filo dentro: tienen a la brunfelsia por guía espiritual, la consumen en la iniciación y reciben de ella poderes para curar y también para causar enfermedades.

«In Iquitos, urban ayahuasqueros say that Brunfelsia grandiflora makes ayahuasca more powerful and induces acoustical effects “like rain in the ear» — el efecto que los ayahuasqueros urbanos de Iquitos atribuyen a la brunfelsia añadida a la ayahuasca: la hace más poderosa e induce efectos acústicos como de lluvia en el oído.

«During a new moon, the Witoto on the Río Ampiyaco (Peru) add brunfelsia to ayahuasca (they add pieces of the bark to cold ayahuasca) to obtain power» — y la regla lunar witoto: en luna nueva se añaden pedazos de corteza a la ayahuasca fría para obtener poder.

«In the older literature, the constituents were listed as brunfelsia alkaloids with such names as franciscaine, manacine, brunfelsine (Brandl 1885), and even mandragorine (cf. Mandragora officinarum) —all obsolete names for the “only little understood chemical components» — la advertencia química que Rätsch hereda de Schultes: los nombres de alcaloides de la literatura vieja son obsoletos y designaban componentes apenas entendidos; el tramo se corta antes de las comillas de la fuente.

«The peculiar effects of the manaca root were described at an early date: heavy salivation, slackness, general sedation, partial paralysis of the face, swollen tongue, and blurred vision. There were also more drastic reports: “wild deliria and persistent feeblemindedness» — los efectos de la raíz de manaca descritos temprano: salivación abundante, flojera, sedación, parálisis parcial de la cara, lengua hinchada y visión borrosa, y en los reportes más drásticos delirios salvajes e imbecilidad persistente.

«One kind of manacá has the property of causing intoxication, blindness, and the retention of urine during the day; but after having drunk the infusion of the root or bark of this tree, a man is always happy in his hunting and fishing» — el testimonio que Rätsch cita con su contradicción dentro: una clase de manacá embriaga, ciega y retiene la orina durante el día, y aun así quien bebe la infusión tiene siempre suerte en la caza y la pesca.

«They begin within just a few minutes and are first manifested as tingling, numbness, et cetera (similar to when an arm or leg has fallen asleep). These are followed by a profound sensation of coldness and an inability to move, foaming at the mouth, shaking, and nausea. Aftereffects include dizziness and exhaustion. The feelings of dizziness and weakness persist into the following day» — y el detalle de esos efectos: hormigueo y entumecimiento, luego frío profundo e incapacidad de moverse, espuma en la boca, temblores y náusea, con mareo y agotamiento al día siguiente.

«Plowman, one of the few researchers to have actually tried the drink, compared the overall effects to those of nicotine (on nonsmokers). He assumes that brunfelsia is added to ayahuasca in order to achieve a higher concentration in the body or a stronger effect upon bodily processes» — la hipótesis de Plowman que Rätsch recoge: compara el efecto con el de la nicotina en no fumadores y supone que la brunfelsia se añade a la ayahuasca para lograr mayor concentración o efecto corporal.

«Jonathan Ott (per oral communication with the author) notes that he almost died as a result of a self-experimentation with brunfelsia» — el aviso que Rätsch recibe por comunicación oral de Jonathan Ott: casi murió en una autoexperimentación con brunfelsia.

«To date, there are no reports of pleasant visionary experiences. However, for understandable reasons, few psychonauts have dared to explore the depths of the brunfelsia state» — y el saldo con su explicación dentro: no hay reportes de experiencias visionarias agradables, aunque por razones comprensibles pocos psiconautas se han atrevido a explorar ese estado.

«The juice of this plant [Brunfelsia grandiflora] plunges them [the Indians] into a kind of intoxication or stupefaction which lasts a little more than a quarter of an hour and from which they acquire magical powers, enabling them to heal all sorts of diseases through incantations. While the effects of the drink act on their brains, they are unable to fall asleep. They believe they see all kinds of fantastic animals: dragons, tigers [= jaguars], wild boars, which attack them and tear them to bits, etc. This action of honi lasts four or five hours depending on the quantity ingested» — el testimonio del padre C. Tastevin que el libro cita en recuadro: el jugo produce un estupor de un cuarto de hora del que se sacan poderes mágicos de curación, con visiones de dragones y jaguares que los despedazan.

«This Compositae was used for magical and medicinal purposes in pre-Columbian times. It is possible that Calea zacatechichi helped Aztec magicians (nagualli) travel deeper into Tlálocan, the realm of dreams» — el marco de la monografía de la hierba del sueño: uso mágico y medicinal prehispánico, y la conjetura de que ayudara a los nagualli aztecas a adentrarse en Tlálocan, el reino de los sueños.

«Its psychoactive use was first described by Thomas» — Rätsch adjudica la primera descripción del uso psicoactivo de la hierba del sueño a Thomas MacDougall; el tramo se corta antes del paréntesis con el año.

«Although the Aztecs and other Mesoamerican peoples were almost certainly using the plant ritually in pre-Columbian times, very little information is contained in the sources» — la deuda documental que Rätsch declara: es casi seguro que los aztecas usaran ritualmente la planta, y las fuentes casi no dicen nada.

«The Chontal Indians of Oaxaca, whose language is related to Mayan, call the plant thlepela-kano, “leaf of god,” and venerate it as a plant of the gods» — el nombre y la veneración chontal que Rätsch registra: llaman a la planta hoja de dios y la tienen por planta de los dioses.

«The curanderos (healers) of the Chontal boil crushed fresh leaves to produce a powerful and astringent brew that they drink in order to produce visions and clairvoyant, dreamlike states» — la preparación chontal: hojas frescas machacadas y hervidas en un cocimiento potente y astringente que se bebe para producir visiones y estados oníricos clarividentes.

«The curanderos report having altered, dreamlike states in which they can hear the voices of the gods and spirits, recognize the causes of illnesses, look into the future, and locate lost or stolen objects. This form of divination is known as oneiromancy (divination through dreams» — y lo que esos curanderos reportan: oír las voces de los dioses y los espíritus, reconocer las causas de las enfermedades, mirar el futuro y localizar lo perdido, en la forma de adivinación llamada oniromancia.

«The fresh herbage is sometimes placed under the pillow to induce dreams» — el uso doméstico más simple de la hierba del sueño: puesta fresca bajo la almohada para inducir sueños.

«means “cold tree” and refers to the plant’s ability to lower body temperature» — la etimología funcional que Rätsch da para el nombre chiricaspi, árbol frío: alude a la capacidad de la planta de bajar la temperatura del cuerpo; el tramo abre en la plana 331 continuando la frase de la 330.

«Brunfelsia chiricaspi is said to be the most psychoactively potent of» — el juicio que Rätsch consigna en voz pasiva: la *Brunfelsia chiricaspi* pasa por la más potente de todas; el tramo se corta en el límite de plana y la frase sigue en la 332.

«According to Díaz (1979, 79*), there are different chemical races of the plant, of which one is psychoactive while the other(s) are not» — la hipótesis de Díaz que Rätsch recoge para la hierba del sueño: hay razas químicas distintas de la planta, unas psicoactivas y otras no.

«This would explain why Chontal healers distinguish between “good” and “bad” specimens of the plant» — y lo que esa hipótesis explicaría: que los curanderos chontales distingan entre ejemplares buenos y malos de la planta.

«The subtle psychoactive effects on humans are best described as dream-inducing or oneirogenic» — la caracterización que Rätsch da del efecto de la *Calea zacatechichi*: sutil, y mejor descrito como inductor de sueños u onirógeno.

«A group of Mexican researchers headed by José Díaz conducted a double-blind experiment using a placebo and a preparation of Calea zacatechichi and registered a significant increase in the number of meaningful dreams in the subjects who had ingested C. zacatechichi» — el experimento a doble ciego que Rätsch cita como apoyo: el grupo de José Díaz registró un aumento significativo de sueños con sentido en quienes tomaron la planta.

«Some subjects have reported experiencing marijuana-like effects (cf. Cannabis) after smoking a cigarette made with Calea» — lo que otros reportan al fumar la hierba del sueño: efectos parecidos a los de la mariguana.

«I personally cannot (yet) confirm such an effect. The only effects I have noticed are an increase of blood flow to the head and mild sensations of being» — y la reserva que Rätsch opone en primera persona: él no puede confirmar todavía ese efecto, y solo ha notado más riego sanguíneo en la cabeza y una sensación leve; el tramo se corta antes de las comillas de la fuente.

«The effects described in the literature are not reliable (cf. Ott 1993, 422*). To date, no side effects have been reported» — su juicio sobre la bibliografía de esta planta: los efectos descritos en la literatura no son fiables, y hasta hoy no se han reportado efectos secundarios.

«I played tamboura in a concert of classical Indian music after I had drunk the Calea zacatechichi tea. As I did, I dove into the sound of the tamboura. My teacher describes the tamboura as a ‘river,’ the water, the bearer of the music (the tablas are the currents, the voices are the spirit). I had always regarded the river as only a surface, and that with my tamboura playing I would form the surface upon which the others could flow. But the Calea literally brought a new depth into this picture. I was not only the carrying wave upon which the other musicians could drift along . . . I saw that we all played under water this time, all dove down to the depths of the ocean» — el testimonio de Dawn Delo que el libro reproduce por comunicación personal: con el té de *Calea* la tambura dejó de ser superficie y se volvió profundidad, y los músicos tocaban bajo el agua.

«The spectacular red powder puff is originally from Mexico, where it was already being used for medicinal purposes in pre-Spanish times. The first reports about the plant are from Francisco Hernández, made in the fifteenth century. The Aztecs are said to have used the plant as a narcotic» — el marco de la monografía de la *Calliandra anomala*: mexicana, de uso medicinal prehispánico, con las primeras noticias en Francisco Hernández y con el uso narcótico atribuido a los aztecas.

«Both Calliandra anomala and the genus Calliandra as a whole have been little studied, even though the genus encompasses several interesting medicinal plants and very attractive and beautiful ornamental shrubs» — y el hueco de investigación que Rätsch declara: el género entero está poco estudiado pese a reunir plantas medicinales interesantes.

«The plant can allegedly be used to manufacture a snuff: “Several days after several incisions were made into the bark, the resin that had appeared was collected, dried, powdered, mixed with ashes, and sniffed» — el rapé que Rätsch consigna en voz pasiva, citando a Schuldes: resina recogida de incisiones en la corteza, secada, pulverizada, mezclada con ceniza e inhalada.

«In Aztec mythology and cosmology, Calliandra is associated with the heavenly realm of the dead (the House of the Sun in Heaven) and with the nourishment for reborn souls» — la adscripción mitológica que Rätsch da a la *Calliandra*: ligada al reino celeste de los muertos y al alimento de las almas renacidas.

«The third place to which one went was in the House of the Sun in Heaven. Those who had fallen in battle went there, those that had either died right in battle, so that they were carried away on the battlefield, that their breath ceased there, that fate found them there, or those that were brought home so that they could be sacrificed later, whether in the Sacrificio gladiatorio or by being thrown alive into the fire, or stabbed to death, or thrown onto the cactus [Coryphantha spp.], or in battle, or bound with pine chips —all of these go to the house of the sun» — el pasaje de Sahagun que el libro reproduce: la Casa del Sol en el Cielo como destino de los caídos en batalla y de los sacrificados, con la lista de las formas de muerte que dan derecho a ella.

«And after they have spent four years in this manner, they change into birds with bright feathers: hummingbirds, flower birds, into yellow birds with black, hollow depressions around their eyes; into chalk-white butterflies, into downy butterflies, into butterflies (as large) as drinking vessels, which suck honey from all types of flowers, the flowers of the equimitl [Erythrina spp.], the tzompantli tree [Erythrina americana], the xiloxochitl [Pseudobombax ellipticum H.B.K.; cf. amapola], and the tlacoxilohxochitl [Calliandra anomala]» — y la metamorfosis que sigue en el mismo pasaje: a los cuatro años los caídos se vuelven colibríes, pájaros de flores y mariposas que chupan miel de las flores, la *Calliandra* entre ellas; los corchetes con las equivalencias botánicas son del libro.

«It is possible that the shrub may have had a ritual significance among the Maya, for the Lacandon of Chiapas still refer to it as chäk me’ex k’in, “the red beard of the sun god» — la conjetura maya que Rätsch apoya en el nombre lacandón vivo: barba roja del dios del sol.

«The Aztecs trickled the sap of the plant into the nose in order to induce a hypnotic sleep» — el uso azteca que Rätsch registra: savia goteada en la nariz para inducir un sueño hipnótico.

«It is rumored that the bark also contains N,N-DMT. Felix Hasler and David Volanthen did not find any DMT in an analysis of Calliandra stem cortex material» — el rumor químico que Rätsch consigna y la medición que lo contradice: Felix Hasler y David Volanthen no hallaron DMT en corteza de tallo del sur de México.

«If DMT is in fact present in the stem cortex, it would have to be in amounts less than 0.1%. The root cortex has not yet been studied» — y el margen que deja abierto en vez de cerrar el caso: de haberlo, estaría por debajo del uno por mil, y la corteza de la raíz no se ha estudiado.

«It is unknown whether anyone has had psychoactive experiences with the plant» — la declaración de ignorancia con que Rätsch cierra los efectos de la *Calliandra*: no se sabe si alguien ha tenido experiencias psicoactivas con la planta.

«The earliest written reference to the tea plant is contained in a document from 221 B.C.E., according to which the Chinese emperor Tschingschi-huang-ti had introduced a tax on tea» — la datación documental del té que Rätsch da: un documento del 221 antes de nuestra era sobre el impuesto que el emperador chino puso al té; el nombre va como lo imprime el troceo.

«Legend has it that Bodhidharma, a disciple of the Buddha, brought tea from India to China together with the Buddhist teachings» — la leyenda de origen que registra: Bodhidharma, discípulo del Buda, habría traído el té de la India a China junto con la doctrina budista.

«In 801, the Buddhist monk Saichô brought the tea plant to Japan (Okakura 1979, 34). The Zen monk Esai wrote the first Japanese book on tea (and its healing properties) during the early thirteenth century» — la cadena japonesa que Rätsch fecha: el monje budista Saichô lleva la planta a Japón en 801, y el monje zen Esai escribe el primer libro japonés sobre el té a principios del siglo XIII.

«The spirit of tea is like the spirit of the Tao; it flows spontaneously, wanders here and there, and resists every compulsion» — la frase de John Blofeld que el libro cita en recuadro: el espíritu del té es como el del Tao, fluye espontáneo, vaga y resiste toda compulsión.

«The power and effect of this drink is / that it dispels immoderate sleep; but afterward those in particular feel very good / who have overburdened their stomachs with food / and have loaded the brain with strong beverages: for it dries and removes all other moisture / and dispels the rising vapors or fog / which provoke» — la primera descripción europea de la bebida, en el relato de viaje de Johan Neuhof, que Rätsch destaca por elogiar su efecto psicoactivo: quita el sueño inmoderado, seca la humedad y disipa los vapores; el tramo se corta en el límite de plana y la cita sigue en la 352.

«sleep; it fortifies the memory / and sharpens the mind» — y el cierre de esa cita: el té fortalece la memoria y aguza la mente; el tramo abre en la plana 352 continuando el de la 351.

«The processing method determines the type of tea. Green tea consists of unfermented, dried leaves (thea viridis folium), black tea of fermented leaves (thea nigrae folium), and oolong (also known as white or brown tea) of semi-fermented leaves» — la distinción que ordena la monografía del té: el tipo lo decide el procesamiento, con el verde sin fermentar, el negro fermentado y el oolong semifermentado.

«Tea is sometimes combined with other plants to alter its aroma. Moroccan tea, a mixture of green Chinese tea and the North African nana mint (Mentha x nana), is quite typical. This tea is brewed strong and heavily sweetened (in Morocco, it is drunk primarily during usage of kif; cf. Cannabis sativa» — las mezclas que Rätsch registra: el té moronuno de té verde chino y hierbabuena norteafricana, bebido sobre todo mientras se usa kif.

«In Yemen, tea is aromaticized with twigs of Catha edulis. In eastern Asia, oolong tea is often mixed with the flowers of Chrysanthemum spp» — y dos mezclas más: en Yemen el té aromatizado con ramas de khat, y en Asia oriental el oolong con flores de crisantemo.

«The legend of the origin of tea explains both its stimulating effects and its ritual significance: A pious monk—according to some versions, Bodhidharma, a disciple of the Buddha—was constantly falling asleep while meditating in the cloister. Angered by the fact that he could not keep his eyes open, he abruptly cut off his eyelids and cast them away. The first tea plant grew from the ground where they had fallen, its leaves resembling the eyelids. Other monks witnessed this miracle, collected some of the leaves, and poured water over them. They immediately noticed the animating power of the new beverage, and from that time forward, they always drank tea before meditating» — el mito de origen del té que Rätsch reproduce: el monje que se corta los párpados por no poder velar en la meditación, la primera planta nacida donde cayeron, y los monjes bebiendo té antes de meditar desde entonces.

«In China, tea was initially drunk by Taoists and Buddhists to aid them in their meditations and sexual practices. This tradition evolved into the Chinese tea ceremony (Blofeld 1986), which culminated in the Japanese tea cult» — la genealogía ritual que Rätsch traza: el té bebido primero por taoístas y budistas como ayuda de la meditación y de las prácticas sexuales, de ahí la ceremonia china y de ahí el culto japonés del té.

«For us, the tea cult became more than simply an idealized form of drinking; it is a religion of the art of living. Tea drinking gradually became a pretext for venerating purity and refinement, it became a sacred act through which host and guest came together to create the greatest bliss» — la definición de Okakura que el libro cita: el culto del té como religión del arte de vivir, pretexto para venerar la pureza y acto sagrado en que anfitrión e invitado crean juntos la dicha mayor.

«The tea path (cha-no-yu) is a true entheogenic ritual in which a ceremonial master not only prepares the substance but also determines the spiritual direction of the circle» — la lectura que Rätsch hace del cha-no-yu: un verdadero ritual enteogénico donde el maestro de ceremonia no solo prepara la sustancia sino que fija la dirección espiritual del círculo.

«The tea is prepared in a ritual fashion: Powdered green tea (macha) is added to hot water (approximately 60°C) and whipped with a tea whisk in a tea vessel made of stone (chawan) until it froths. The dosage per person is “three and one-half sips» — el detalle ritual de esa preparación, con su dosis medida dentro: té verde en polvo batido con el batidor en un cuenco de piedra hasta espumar, y tres sorbos y medio por persona.

«many follow the path. Only a few knowers attain its ultimate goal —finding in the tea path a path to their true selves. They are liberated from their concerns about the transitoriness of all that is earthly, they take part in the eternal, they find their way back to nature, because they are in harmony with all living beings» — la meta del camino del té según Hammitzsch, que el libro cita: pocos conocedores hallan en él un camino a su verdadero yo, se liberan de la transitoriedad y vuelven a la naturaleza; el tramo abre en la plana 358 continuando el de la 357.

«Similarly to the manner in which wine has shaped Occidental philosophy, Eastern philosophy has been borne on the wings of the spirit of tea» — el paralelo que Rätsch propone: como el vino dio forma a la filosofía occidental, la filosofía oriental ha volado sobre el espíritu del té.

«Teaism is the art of shrouding beauty in order to discover it, and to suggest something which one does not dare reveal. It is the delicate secret of laughing softly and yet inscrutably about one’s self, and is thus the good mood itself—the smile of philosophy» — la definición de Okakura que Rätsch cita a continuación: el teísmo como arte de velar la belleza para descubrirla, secreto de reírse de uno mismo y sonrisa de la filosofía.

«In many Taoist and similarly erotic rituals, drinking tea is a required practice» — el sitio del té en el rito erótico taoísta: beberlo es práctica obligada.

«Tea leaves are an ingredient in the initiatory drink of the Afro-American Candomblé cult (see Madzoka medicine» — el uso afroamericano que Rätsch registra: la hoja de té como ingrediente de la bebida iniciática del culto de Candomblé.

«Tea has influenced not only the Taoist and Zen Buddhist philosophies but also the associated arts (Soshitsu Sen XV 1991). For example, there are numerous depictions of Taoist saints drinking tea» — la huella artística del té que Rätsch señala: influyó en las filosofías taoísta y zen budista y en sus artes, con numerosas representaciones de santos taoístas bebiendo té.

«Tea is better than wine, for you drink it without inebriation» — el dicho chino del siglo V que el libro coloca en recuadro: el té es mejor que el vino porque se bebe sin embriagarse.

«Before tea began its triumphant march through the world as an agent of pleasure, it was used primarily for medicinal purposes. In traditional Chinese medicine, the “foam of liquid jade” is regarded as an excellent panacea. It was first mentioned as a medicine in a Chinese herbal from the sixth century and was recommended particularly for people who slept too much» — el orden que Rätsch fija para el té: antes de ser agente de placer fue medicina, panacea de la medicina tradicional china y recomendada sobre todo a los que dormían demasiado.

«One drinks tea to forget the noise of the world» — la frase de Lin Yutang que el libro coloca en recuadro sobre para qué se bebe el té.

«The stimulating effects of tea manifest themselves more slowly than those of coffee (see Coffea arabica) but also persist longer, as the caffeine often must first be liberated from the bond to the tanning agents and the glycosidic compounds» — la diferencia farmacológica que Rätsch señala entre té y café: el efecto del té llega más despacio y dura más, porque la cafeína debe liberarse primero de su unión con los taninos.

«Strong tea has general detoxifying properties and is a useful antidote for alcohol poisoning, overdoses of hashish and opium, and nicotine or heroin withdrawal» — el uso que Rätsch recoge de Blofeld: el té fuerte como desintoxicante y antídoto contra la intoxicación alcohólica, la sobredosis de hachís y de opio y la abstinencia de nicotina o heroína.

«Contemporary botanists are of two minds regarding the genus Cannabis (Clarke 1981; Schmidt 1992; Small et al. 1975). One school regards the genus as monotypic and suggests that there is only one species, Cannabis sativa, which can be divided into several varieties and numerous sorts (Anderson 1980; Small and Cronquist 1976; Stearn 1974). The other group adheres to the concept of three species (Emboden 1974a, 1974b, 1981b, and 1996; Schultes et al. 1974). This encyclopedia subscribes to the division of the genus into three species» — la decisión taxonómica que Rätsch declara para el cannabis: frente a la escuela que lo tiene por género monotípico, la enciclopedia adopta la división en tres especies.

«We do not know with certitude when Indian hemp was first cultivated, when it was first used as a medicinal and pleasure plant, or where its ritual use began» — la declaración de ignorancia con que Rätsch abre la historia del cáñamo indio: no se sabe con certeza cuándo se cultivó primero ni dónde empezó su uso ritual.

«Some authors are of the opinion that Cannabis indica was the miraculous Arian drug soma (Behr 1995). It is certain that hemp was used as a soma substitute during the post-Vedic period» — la tesis ajena que Rätsch consigna y el hecho que sí da por cierto: hay quien identifica el cáñamo indio con el soma, y es seguro que se usó como sustituto del soma en la época posvédica.

«In northern India and the Himalayas, hemp has been utilized since prehistoric times in shamanism (cf. Cannabis ruderalis, Cannabis sativa), the tantric cult, yoga, and magical contexts. Many of these uses have continued into the present day» — los cuatro marcos de uso que Rätsch alinea para el cáñamo del norte de la India y el Himalaya, vivos hasta hoy: chamanismo, culto tántrico, yoga y contextos mágicos.

«It has been argued that assassins itself means “hashish people” or “hashish eaters.” The leader of this group supposedly used hashish, produced from the resin of hemp plants, to made his followers pliable, so that they would blindly carry out any murderous order» — la versión corriente de la historia de los asesinos que Rätsch reproduce antes de objetarla: el nombre leído como comedores de hachís y el jefe que con hachís volvía dóciles a sus seguidores.

«promotes the circulation of blood into all parts of the body; aids clear thinking and mental wakefulness; promotes the excretion of alcohol and other harmful substances (fats and nicotine) from the bodily organs; strengthens the body’s resistance to a broad spectrum of diseases; accelerates the metabolism and the absorption of oxygen by the organs» — el inventario de propiedades que la literatura china atribuye al té, citado de Blofeld: circulación, pensamiento claro, excreción del alcohol y otras sustancias dañinas, resistencia a las enfermedades y metabolismo acelerado.

«prevents loss of teeth; cleans and invigorates the skin, which contributes to the maintenance of a youthful appearance; prevents or slows down anemia; purifies the urine and promotes its excretion; resists the effects of the summer heat; is good for the eyes and makes them more shiny; promotes digestion; soothes discomfort in limbs and joints; prevents harmful mucous secretions; alleviates thirst; combats tiredness or attacks of depression; enlivens the spirit and brings about a general feeling of well-being; increases life expectancy» — y la segunda mitad de ese inventario: piel, anemia, orina, calor del verano, ojos, digestión, articulaciones, sed, cansancio, ánimo y esperanza de vida.

«With its aroma and clear foam Tea resembles the nectar of the immortals. The first cup swept the cobwebs from my thoughts, the entire world appeared in a gleaming light» — el poema de Chiao-Jên de la dinastía T'ang que el libro reproduce: el té como néctar de los inmortales, y la primera taza que barre las telarañas del pensamiento; el tramo se corta en el límite de plana y el poema sigue en la 363.

«the third made me one with the immortals» — el final de ese poema: la tercera taza hace uno con los inmortales; el tramo abre en la plana 363 continuando el de la 362.

«here, whether in any of the Oriental or any of the Occidental sources, is there even a suggestion that a captive Assassin made mention of the use of hashish or any other drugs» — la objeción que Rätsch cita de Gelpke contra la etimología corriente de los asesinos: en ninguna fuente oriental ni occidental se sugiere que un asesino cautivo mencionara el uso de hachís o de droga alguna; el verbatim arranca a media palabra por el corchete editorial del libro, que queda fuera.

«Indian hemp and the hashish it provides were immediately adopted for medicinal use; artists also discovered that hemp could be a source of inspiration, while occult circles tested it for use in inducing clairvoyant states» — los tres destinos europeos que Rätsch da al cáñamo indio en el siglo XIX: uso medicinal inmediato, fuente de inspiración para los artistas, y prueba en los círculos ocultistas para inducir estados clarividentes.

«The systematic demonization of what is actually the most harmless inebriant and agent of pleasure known is the work of drug policies promulgated in and by the United States» — la tesis política de Rätsch sobre el cáñamo: su demonización sistemática es obra de la política antidrogas de los Estados Unidos, y él lo llama el embriagante más inocuo que se conoce.

«The illegal status of hemp is a recent phenomenon and is based not upon scientific data but upon sociopolitical goals and economic structures» — y el fundamento que le niega: la ilegalidad del cáñamo es reciente y no se apoya en datos científicos sino en fines sociopolíticos y estructuras económicas.

«Today, hemp is the most commonly consumed of all illegal drugs in the world, although its users typically classify hemp products not as drugs but as agents of pleasure» — el dato de consumo con la distinción émica dentro: el cáñamo es la más consumida de las drogas ilegales del mundo, y sus usuarios no lo clasifican como droga sino como agente de placer.

«In India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Nepal, the resin is graded into different sorts, depending upon the source and the intended use: Kashmiri or Dark Brown Kashmiri, Manali or Finger Hashish, Rajasthani (resin mixed with other pieces of the plant), Indian Gold or Black Gold (high-grade resin gilded with gold leaf), Black (soft, pure resin), Bombay Black (resin to which opium, Papaver somniferum, or morphine has been added), Parvati, (hand-rubbed resin), Pakistani or Brown Pakistani (brown resin), Afghani or Black Afghani (hand-rubbed resin), and Moldy Afghani (inferior quality)» — la clasificación comercial de la resina que Rätsch levanta por origen y uso, con los nombres de plaza tal como se imprimen, de Kashmiri y Manali a Bombay Black y Moldy Afghani.

«The term bhang refers to the small, resinous leaves of the plant as well as to drinks that are prepared from them» — la distinción de términos que ordena la monografía: bhang nombra a la vez las hojas pequeñas y resinosas y las bebidas que con ellas se preparan.

«The drink called bhang lassie (thandai, poust, siddhi, ramras), which is made of yogurt, water, honey, pepper [cf. Piper spp.], and hemp flowers, symbolizes the sacred Ganges and can be obtained for pennies throughout India even today. It is equally venerated by pilgrims and by participants in marriage ceremonies and temple festivals» — la cita de Haag sobre el bhang lassie: bebida de yogur, agua, miel, pimienta y flores de cáñamo que simboliza el Ganges sagrado, se consigue por céntimos en toda la India y la veneran peregrinos y participantes de bodas y fiestas de templo.

«For tantric smoking blends, hemp flowers (ganja) are sometimes mixed with cobra venom—the cobra is a sacred animal and a symbol of Shiva. Crystallized cobra venom74 is mixed with chopped hemp flowers or hashish and smoked in a chillum» — la mezcla tántrica que Rätsch describe: flores de cáñamo con veneno de cobra cristalizado, por ser la cobra animal sagrado y símbolo de Shiva, fumadas en chillum.

«Hemp has been a drug of shamans since ancient times (Eliade 1975, 376ff.*; Knoll-Greiling 1950; Sebode and Pfeiffer 1988, 16). Shamans are generally attributed with the discovery of pharmacologically efficacious plants, including the discovery of hemp and its multitude of uses» — la tesis con que Rätsch abre el uso ritual del cáñamo: droga de chamanes desde antiguo, y a los chamanes se atribuye de ordinario el hallazgo de las plantas eficaces, el cáñamo entre ellas.

«In central and east Asia, hemp was already in use during the Neolithic period. Our word shaman originated in the same area. In the Tungusic language, shaman refers to the healing and prophesizing master of consciousness» — y la coincidencia geográfica que subraya: el cáñamo se usaba en Asia central y oriental ya en el neolítico, y de esa misma zona sale la palabra chamán, que en tungús nombra al maestro de la consciencia que cura y profetiza.

«The earliest literary and ethnohistorical evidence for hemp is contained in shamanic texts from ancient China» — y localiza la evidencia literaria más antigua del cáñamo en los textos chamánicos de la China antigua.

«Most of the peoples of Nepal practice a religion that draws from various sources. Here, elements from the Vedic period, the ancient Bön religion of Tibet, Tibetan Lamaism, and a variety of schools of Hinduism have blended into a harmonious whole» — el sincretismo nepalí que Rätsch describe: elementos del periodo védico, de la antigua religión bön del Tíbet, del lamaísmo tibetano y de varias escuelas del hinduismo fundidos en un todo armónico.

«These shamans inhabit a polytheistic cosmos in which the Buddha is as much at home as are the ancient Bön demons and the Vedic and Hindu gods» — y el cosmos de esos chamanes: politeísta, con el Buda tan en su casa como los antiguos demonios bön y los dioses védicos e hindúes.

«The chillum is the typical smoking device of sadhus and yogis, who use it constantly in their rituals of worship, meditation, and yogic practice» — el sitio del chillum en el recuadro que Rätsch le dedica: instrumento propio de sadhus y yoguis, en uso constante en sus ritos de adoración, meditación y práctica yóguica.

«The chillum is lit with two matches (which represent the masculine and the feminine poles of the universe). Before lighting the mixture in the chillum, the person holds the chillum against his or her forehead (the third eye) and utters a short formula (japa), usually “Bum Shankar!” This consecrates the smoke to the Hindu god Shiva» — el detalle ritual del chillum: se enciende con dos cerillos, que representan los polos masculino y femenino del universo, y antes se apoya en la frente y se pronuncia una fórmula que consagra el humo a Shiva.

«Hemp smokers regard both Shiva and his son Ganesha as the gods of hemp smoking» — y los dos dioses que los fumadores tienen por patronos del cáñamo: Shiva y su hijo Ganesha.

«Chillum smoking is a relatively elaborate process that demonstrates the profound respect the consumer has for the plant as well as for the Asian tradition, and often reveals a religious attitude toward hemp smoking» — la lectura que Rätsch hace del ceremonial del chillum: proceso elaborado que muestra el respeto profundo por la planta y por la tradición asiática, y a menudo una actitud religiosa.

«The European tradition of chillum smoking can now look back upon more than thirty years of tradition, and chillum use is being passed on from one generation to the next» — y la tradición nueva que registra: la del chillum en Europa lleva ya más de treinta años y se transmite de una generación a otra.

«According to shamanic tradition, Indra, the original Vedic god, discovered Cannabis and sowed it in the Himalayas so that it would always be available to humans, who could attain joy, courage, and greater sexual desire though the herb» — el mito de origen que Rätsch cita de Haag: Indra, dios védico originario, descubrió el cannabis y lo sembró en el Himalaya para que los hombres tuvieran siempre alegría, valor y deseo.

«The shamans venerate Shiva, whose roots can be traced back to the Vedic Rudra. They regard him as the primordial first shaman, who had a perfect understanding of the shamanic arts and who taught this to certain chosen people» — la figura que los chamanes del Himalaya veneran según Rätsch: Shiva, con raíz en el Rudra védico, tenido por primer chamán primordial que enseñó el arte a algunos elegidos.

«One Nepalese name for Shiva is vijaya,“the victorious”; in the Vedic scriptures, hemp is referred to by the same name. Shiva is also known as Bhangeri Baba, “the lord of hemp» — la identidad de nombre que Rätsch señala: vijaya, el victorioso, es nombre nepalí de Shiva y nombre védico del cáñamo, y a Shiva se lo llama además señor del cáñamo.

«Shiva also gave people the various recipes for its use: “In Nepal, ascetics, shamans, and magicians have been consuming small amounts of this agent since ancient times in order to induce trance states» — el resto de ese mito con su uso vivo pegado: Shiva dio además las recetas, y en Nepal ascetas, chamanes y magos toman desde antiguo pequeñas cantidades para inducir el trance.

«They offer bhang at the phallus-shaped shrines of Shiva (sacred stones, lingams). The offerings actuate the healing powers of the god, for no one loves hemp and the state it produces as much as Shiva himself. The inebriated god sends forth his healing power, which the shaman channels and transmits to the patient» — y el mecanismo ritual que expone: la ofrenda de bhang en los lingams activa el poder curativo del dios, porque nadie ama el cáñamo como Shiva, y el chamán canaliza ese poder hacia el paciente.

«Smoking is an unbecoming, a dissolution, a process of death. In this small, spinning pyre, the husks of delusion that entwine us burn to ash. The rotting corpses of our transgressions, the cadavers of old karma, roast therein and are transformed to snow white ash» — la lectura de Storl que el libro cita: fumar como deshacerse, disolución y proceso de muerte, en cuya pequeña pira arden las cáscaras del engaño y se calcina el karma viejo.

«The bolt to the door of the “transcendent” is shattered; the demonic hordes of Shiva, the ethereal images of natural forces and the shapes of souls, dance before the eyes of the initiate. The dead and the gods appear» — la continuación de esa cita: descorrido el cerrojo de la puerta de lo trascendente, las huestes de Shiva y las formas de las almas danzan ante los ojos del iniciado, y aparecen los muertos y los dioses.

«After the chillum has been smoked all the way to the end and the meditation is over, the shaman takes the ashes and rubs them onto his forehead or he places them on his tongue as prasad, for the sacred white powder is regarded as the best medicine» — y el cierre del rito en esa misma cita: el chamán se unta la ceniza en la frente o la pone en la lengua como prasad, porque el polvo blanco sagrado se tiene por la mejor medicina.

«Hemp is the most important ritual drug of Indian and Nepalese Tantrists. They call it vijaya, “the victorious,” and regard it as “the only true aphrodisiac» — el sitio que Rätsch da al cáñamo entre los tántricos indios y nepalíes: su droga ritual más importante, llamada vijaya y tenida por el único afrodisíaco verdadero.

«For this reason, hemp preparations are used in the erotic rituals for couples, during which the two lovers are transformed into the gods Shiva and Parvati» — y el fin de ese uso: en los rituales eróticos de pareja los dos amantes se transforman en Shiva y Parvati.

«Produced from Cannabis leaves, bhang is sold openly in Varanasi, the sacred city of» — el pie de figura que sitúa el bhang en el comercio abierto de Varanasi, ciudad sagrada de Shiva; el tramo se corta en el límite de plana y el pie sigue en la 371 con el dios del cáñamo y la dosis por bolas.

«The shamans of the Himalayas drink bhang in order to induce the states of trance or ecstasy that they require for their healing rituals» — el uso terapéutico que Rätsch describe: los chamanes del Himalaya beben bhang para inducir el trance o el éxtasis que sus rituales de curación piden.

«The sadhaka (or Tantrist) places a bowl with a hemp preparation in front of himself on a mandala and asks the tantric “goddess of the divine nectar” to consecrate the hemp. After this, he carries out several ritual gestures (mudras) over the vessel. He then speaks a mantra to the guru, the teacher, in order to offer him the libation. Finally, he touches his heart and drinks the drink to honor the god, usually Shiva, he has chosen for this purpose» — la secuencia ritual tántrica que Rätsch describe de Bharati: el cuenco sobre el mandala, la petición a la diosa del néctar divino para que consagre el cáñamo, los mudras, el mantra al guru y el trago en honor del dios.

«During one tantric ritual that is still conducted in northern India today, hemp (bhang) is transformed into amrita, the drink of the gods» — la transformación que ese otro ritual opera y que Rätsch destaca: el bhang convertido en amrita, la bebida de los dioses.

«A yantra (ritual diagram) of a circle, square, and triangle is drawn. The primordial feminine energy ardhar shakti is venerated in this yantra» — el segundo paso de ese ritual según Moser-Schmitt: el yantra de círculo, cuadrado y triángulo donde se venera la energía femenina primordial.

«Since the post-Vedic period, Brahmans have been using hemp as an adjunct to meditation and to promote concentration as well as to deepen their understanding of the sacred texts» — el uso brahmánico que Rätsch data desde la época posvédica: cáñamo como auxiliar de la meditación y de la concentración, y para ahondar en la comprensión de los textos sagrados.

«In Mesopotamia, and especially among the Assyrians, hemp was burned as a sacred incense» — el uso mesopotámico que registra: entre los asirios el cáñamo se quemaba como incienso sagrado.

«In the Occult movement, hemp was used as a visionary incense» — y el uso moderno que le pone al lado: en el movimiento ocultista el cáñamo se usó como incienso visionario.

«The ritual music of the Rastas is reggae, and their sacrament is hemp» — el par que Rätsch fija para los rastas: el reggae por música ritual y el cáñamo por sacramento.

«We use this herb as medicine and for spiritual experiences. It helps us to overcome illness, suffering, and death. . . . We use our herb in our church—as incense for God, just as the Roman Catholics use incense in their church. We burn our incense in order to venerate our God through spiritual experience» — el testimonio de un líder rasta que el libro cita: la hierba como medicina y como experiencia espiritual, usada en la iglesia como incienso para Dios igual que el incienso de los católicos.

«It gives us spiritual comfort, we praise God in peace and love, without force. . . . When we are depressed, when we are hungry, we smoke our little herb and we meditate on our God. The herb is a true comfort to us» — y el resto de ese testimonio: consuelo espiritual, alabanza en paz y amor sin fuerza, y la hierba fumada en la depresión y en el hambre para meditar en Dios.

«In the Rastafarian community, the first inebriation produced by smoking ganja has the character of an initiation. The young smoker is supposed to receive a vision that will mark him as a full member of the community and reveal his path through life» — el carácter iniciático que Rätsch adjudica a la primera embriaguez rastafari: el joven fumador debe recibir una visión que lo marque como miembro pleno y le revele su camino.

«The Rastas, it should be noted, eschew alcohol, which may be used only as a solvent for ganja and be consumed in medicines. Alcohol inebriation is viewed as reprehensible, harmful, aggression promoting, and asocial» — y el límite que la comunidad rasta pone: rechazan el alcohol, solo admitido como disolvente de la ganja y en medicinas, y tienen la embriaguez alcohólica por reprobable y asocial.

«In Mexico, an Indian cult calls hemp la santa rosa, “the sacred rose,” and venerates it as a sacred plant. The cult members chew hemp flowers at their meetings and use the psychoactive effects to intuitively speak sacred words, for divination, and as an expression of the divine» — el culto mexicano que Rätsch registra: llaman al cáñamo la santa rosa, mascan sus flores en las reuniones y usan el efecto para hablar palabras sagradas, adivinar y expresar lo divino.

«An ancient depiction of bull killing suggests that hemp may very well have played a role in the Mithraic mysteries. From the wounds of the bull that Mithras killed as a sacrifice to create the world, blood is shown flowing in the shape of a hemp leaf» — la conjetura iconográfica que Rätsch recoge de Bennett: en una tauroctonía antigua la sangre del toro sacrificado por Mitra fluye con forma de hoja de cáñamo.

«With many artists, it is also impossible to state whether their works were influenced by hemp or other psychoactive substances because the artists themselves refuse to discuss the matter» — y la segunda razón de esa escasez: en muchos artistas no se puede decir si la obra la influyó el cáñamo u otra sustancia, porque ellos mismos se niegan a hablar del asunto.

«Picasso (cf. Artemisia absinthium) was quite familiar with hashish and was of the opinion that it made one happy and stimulated the imagination» — lo que Rätsch atribuye a Picasso sobre el hachís: que lo conocía bien y opinaba que hacía feliz y estimulaba la imaginación.

«In contrast, Alfred Kubin experienced its effects on more of an existential level and felt compelled to transform his hashish visions into art» — y el contraste que le opone: Alfred Kubin vivió sus efectos en un plano existencial y se sintió obligado a convertir sus visiones de hachís en arte.

«The gods gave people hemp out of compassion so that they could attain enlightenment, lose their fear, and retain their sexual desire» — el texto sánscrito del siglo XVII que el libro cita en recuadro: los dioses dieron el cáñamo a los hombres por compasión, para que alcanzaran la iluminación, perdieran el miedo y conservaran el deseo.

«To the Hindu the hemp plant is holy. A guardian lives in the bhang leaf. . . . To see in a dream the leaves, plant, or water of bhang is lucky. . . . A longing for bhang foretells happiness. . . . It cures dysentery and sunstroke, clears phlegm, quickens digestion, sharpens appetite, makes the tongue of the lisper plain, freshens the intellect, and gives alertness to the» — el informe de la Hemp Drug Commission que el libro cita: para el hindú la planta es sagrada, en la hoja de bhang vive un guardián, soñarla es signo de suerte y anhelarla anuncia felicidad; el tramo se corta en el límite de plana.

«Hashish inebriation inspired the literary efforts of many nineteenth-century authors. The works of Charles Baudelaire (Paradis artificiels), Fitz Hugh Ludlow (The Hasheesh Eater), Maurice Magre (La nuit de haschish et d’opium), Walter Benjamin (Über Haschisch), Leo Perutz (Der Meister des letzten Tages), and Ernst Jünger (Annäherungen) all rank among the classics of world literature» — la nómina literaria del hachís que Rätsch alinea como clásicos: Baudelaire, Fitz Hugh Ludlow, Maurice Magre, Walter Benjamin, Leo Perutz y Ernst Jünger.

«Indeed, the perception of music is profoundly affected by Cannabis (Fachner et al. 1995). This new listening experience has also» — y el mecanismo que propone: el cáñamo afecta hondamente la percepción de la música, y esa escucha nueva ha producido música nueva; el tramo se corta en el límite de plana.

«The hemp leaf has become a political symbol of the underground and the counterculture. The leaf signals both a disaffection with current political and social systems and a peaceful way of achieving inebriation and enjoying music» — la lectura que Rätsch hace del emblema: la hoja de cáñamo como símbolo político del underground, que señala a la vez desafección con los sistemas vigentes y una vía pacífica de embriaguez.

«In ancient times, the Assyrians were especially known for using Indian hemp (azallu, qannapu, ganzigunnu) and hashish (martakal) in their medicine (Thompson 1949, 220ff.*). Numerous cuneiform texts attest to this fact» — el uso médico asirio que Rätsch documenta con sus nombres en la lengua: cáñamo indio y hachís en la medicina, atestiguados por numerosos textos cuneiformes.

«Crushed hemp seeds, mixed with the seeds of a Mesembryanthemum species, were given to “suppress the spirits” that were responsible for causing (probably) some type of depression» — una receta asiria que a Rätsch le interesa por su lectura: semillas machacadas para suprimir los espíritus responsables de lo que él conjetura una depresión.

«The Assyrians inhaled hemp smoke to relieve worries, cares, and sadness (Thompson 1949, 220*). Since these afflictions often hide behind the masks of demons, it is very likely that hemp was also used in exorcisms» — y la inferencia que saca de ese uso: como esas aflicciones se esconden tras máscaras de demonios, es muy probable que el cáñamo se usara también en exorcismos.

«Since the beginnings of Ayurvedic medicine, Cannabis products have been an indispensable part of that tradition’s medicinal trove» — el sitio del cannabis en la medicina ayurvédica según Rätsch: parte indispensable de su acervo desde los comienzos.

«On the Caribbean island of Jamaica, Indian hemp is at the center of the Rastafari cult, a movement that arose in the twentieth century» — el marco del cáñamo jamaicano: el cáñamo indio en el centro del culto rastafari, movimiento nacido en el siglo XX; el tramo se corta en el límite de plana y la frase sigue en la 381 con la raíz etíope.

«Evidence of the effects of hemp consumption on art (painting) is not as obvious as with other psychoactive plants» — la escasez de huella pictórica del cáñamo que Rätsch constata frente a otras plantas psicoactivas; el tramo se corta en el límite de plana y la razón sigue en la 382.

«the fact that the effects of hemp are only rarely visionary in nature» — y la razón que da: los efectos del cáñamo rara vez son de naturaleza visionaria; el tramo abre en la plana 382 continuando el de la 381.

«he quickening spirit of bhang is the spirit of freedom and knowledge. In the ecstasy of bhang the spark of the Eternal in man turns into light the murkiness of matter. . . . Bhang is the Joy-giver, the Skyflier, the Heavenly-guide, the Poor Man’s Heaven, the Soother of Grief. . . . No god or man is as good as the religious drinker of bhang» — la continuación del informe de la Hemp Drug Commission: el espíritu vivificador del bhang es el de la libertad y el conocimiento, y en su éxtasis la chispa de lo Eterno vuelve luz la opacidad de la materia; el verbatim arranca tras el corchete editorial del libro, que queda fuera.

«The Zionist-Coptic Church of Ethiopia encourages the Jamaican Rastas in such use, declaring that “the Herb may definitely be grown for its use as an asthma medicine, as a remedy for glaucoma, and for joint inflammations; also to aid in the treatment of cancer, as well as for economic use in the clothing industry and for producing paper to use, for example, in the manufacture of Bibles» — la declaración de la iglesia copta sionista de Etiopía que Rätsch cita: la hierba puede cultivarse como medicina para el asma, el glaucoma y las inflamaciones, y para la industria textil y del papel, incluso el de las biblias.

«In the nineteenth century, Europeans discovered the analgesic properties of Indian hemp (Martius 1855; O’Shaughnessy 1839). This led to the development of a number of anodynes that were made from Cannabis indica and marketed both in Europe and in the United States» — la entrada del cáñamo indio en la farmacia occidental que Rätsch fecha: los europeos descubren su poder analgésico en el siglo XIX y de ahí salen los anodinos comercializados en Europa y los Estados Unidos.

«Around the beginning of the twentieth century, numerous cigarettes and medicinal smoke powders based on Cannabis indica were utilized to treat asthma, lung ailments, neuralgia, and sleep disorders» — y el uso que registra a principios del siglo XX: cigarrillos y polvos de humo medicinales de cáñamo indio contra el asma, las dolencias pulmonares, la neuralgia y los trastornos del sueño.

«The American physician Lester Grinspoon has noted that Cannabis has shown great promise as a medicine to treat the following ailments: depression, pain, headaches, migraines, menstrual cramps, paralysis, traumatic injuries, spasms, epilepsy, asthma, glaucoma, the side effects of cancer therapy, and AIDS» — la lista de indicaciones que Rätsch atribuye al médico Lester Grinspoon, de la depresión y el dolor a la epilepsia, el glaucoma y los efectos secundarios de la terapia del cáncer.

«But it is especially those patients who have had very good experiences with illegal self-medication who are demanding the (long overdue) legalization of Cannabis products» — y de quién dice que viene la presión: de los pacientes con buena experiencia de automedicación ilegal, que exigen la legalización que él llama largamente debida.

«The primary effect of consuming hemp is a mild to profound sense of euphoria accompanied by rich associative and imaginative abilities, a stimulated imagination, and a sense of physical well-being» — la descripción del efecto del cáñamo: euforia de suave a profunda, con capacidad asociativa e imaginativa rica, imaginación estimulada y bienestar físico.

«The effects of cannabis are generally contrary to those of tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum). Nicotine suppresses the effects of THC, while THC potentiates the effects of nicotine» — la interacción que Rätsch describe entre cáñamo y tabaco: la nicotina suprime el efecto del THC y el THC potencia el de la nicotina.

«When larger quantities of hashish are eaten or drunk, visionary states, enlivened imagination, hallucinations, and even near-death experiences can be the result» — el margen visionario que Rätsch reserva para la vía oral: con cantidades mayores de hachís comido o bebido aparecen estados visionarios, alucinaciones y aun experiencias cercanas a la muerte.

«Dangerous symptoms, not to mention deaths from Cannabis overdoses, are unknown» — y la negativa con que lo acota: no se conocen síntomas peligrosos ni muertes por sobredosis de cannabis.

«it is hypothesized that hemp is a “gateway drug” and that it contributes to a so-called amotivational syndrome (Täschner 1981). These “psychiatric symptoms” are pure invention and have no empirical basis» — la objeción de Rätsch a la psiquiatría oficial: las hipótesis de la droga de entrada y del síndrome amotivacional son pura invención y no tienen base empírica.

«The chances that a person will think and work creatively and productively while under the influence of hemp increase with increasing experience with hemp» — el resultado del estudio sociológico independiente que cita: las posibilidades de pensar y trabajar de modo creativo y productivo bajo el cáñamo aumentan con la experiencia.

«Lawmakers have based their legislation on the erroneous assumption that the effects of hemp are more dangerous than those of alcohol—even though a number of studies have shown that drivers under the influence of hashish drive considerably slower and with greater care than either sober or drunk drivers» — y la discrepancia que consigna entre legisladores y estudios: la ley supone el cáñamo más peligroso que el alcohol al volante, y varios estudios muestran que quien conduce bajo hachís va más despacio y con más cuidado.

«When signing the Single Convention, Bangladesh, India, and Pakistan retained the right to permit the non-medical use of opium and cannabis» — la excepción legal que Rätsch destaca de la Convención Única: Bangladés, la India y Pakistán se reservaron el derecho de permitir el uso no médico del opio y del cannabis.

«Lowering my hemp-red eyes toward within, I experience YOU while inebriated, and I have left the world behind me. Bom Shankar! In YOUR honor do I raise my dschillum [= chillum] to my brow, so that I may merge with YOU. Om nama Shiva» — y el cierre de ese himno: con los ojos rojos de cáñamo vueltos hacia dentro se experimenta al dios embriagado y se deja el mundo atrás, alzando el chillum a la frente para fundirse con él.

«Ong Hrîng. Ambrosia which is derived from Ambrosia, you who causes Ambrosia to rain down, make Ambrosia for me again and again. Bring Kâlikâ under my control. Give me siddhi, the miraculous abilities» — el mantra de consagración del vijaya que el libro cita del Mahanirvana Tantra: la ambrosía que llueve ambrosía, con la petición de las habilidades milagrosas.

«The legal situation for hemp consumers varies greatly from one country to another, and even within countries. While much of Europe now regards hemp consumption as a minor offense (Bührer n.d.), some Southeast Asian countries (Malaysia, Singapore, the Philippines) may impose the death penalty on convicted hemp consumers» — el contraste legal que Rätsch marca: en buena parte de Europa el consumo es falta menor y en algunos países del sureste asiático puede castigarse con pena de muerte.

«I found myself in a wondrous inner world. I existed alternately in different places and in different conditions. Once I steered my gondola through a moonlit Venetian canal, and then mountain upon mountain rose before my eyes, and the magnificence of the rising sun bathed the icy peaks in purple light. And then I spread my feathered leaves out like a giant fern in the primordial silence of some untouched tropical jungle and swayed and nodded softly in the scented breeze above a riverbed, upon whose waves equally thick clouds of music and perfume arose. My soul transformed itself into a plant being and was strangely and unimaginably enraptured» — el relato de Fitz Hugh Ludlow que el libro cita: el mundo interior maravilloso, la góndola veneciana, las montañas al amanecer y el alma transformada en un ser vegetal en la selva primordial.

«traditional and ethnic music has been related to the ritual ingestion of hemp products for centuries» — la precisión de Rätsch sobre la música del cáñamo: mucha música tradicional y étnica lleva siglos ligada a la ingestión ritual de productos de cáñamo; el tramo abre en la plana 385 continuando la frase de la 384.

«The great disappointment of that which we know is what YOU encounter, terrible Bhairava, the heads of hope hang bloody around YOUR loins» — la apertura del himno nepalí a Shiva del siglo XV que el libro reproduce, dirigido a Bhairava; las mayúsculas del pronombre son del libro y el tramo se corta en el límite de plana.

«I greet YOU, YOU who first placed into the earth the seeds of ganja, from which my knowledge of YOU grows» — y el saludo que sigue: al dios que puso en la tierra las primeras semillas de ganja, de las que crece el conocimiento del dios; el tramo abre en la plana 394 continuando el de la 393.

«These are plant drugs that are smoked in place of Cannabis flowers in order to induce an identical or similar effect» — la definición con que Rätsch encabeza su tabla de sustitutos de la mariguana: drogas vegetales que se fuman en lugar de las flores de cáñamo para inducir un efecto idéntico o parecido.

«Core, throw hemp into the wine! Let us drink of the juice of rapture» — el verso del libreto de Ursula Haas para la ópera de Rolf Liebermann que el libro cita en recuadro, donde el cáñamo se echa al vino.

«Dried parsley leaves are sometimes smoked as a hemp substitute. Whether this produces psychoactive effects is an open question» — el pie de figura que consigna el perejil seco fumado como sustituto del cáñamo y deja abierta la cuestión de si produce efecto psicoactivo.

«The inhabitants of the Atacama Desert (northern Chile) smoke the dried, resinous herbage of pupusa or chachalana, a desert plant that has not yet been botanically identified, as a marijuana substitute» — el sustituto atacameño que el pie de figura registra: la hierba resinosa de la pupusa o chachalana, planta del desierto todavía sin determinar botánicamente.

«It is thought that the fruits of the bay bean (Canavalia maritima) had a ritual or magical significance in ancient Peru. This painting on a Moche vessel may be a depiction of these fruits. It is uncertain whether they actually produce psychoactive effects» — el pie de figura que consigna la conjetura sobre el significado ritual de los frutos del frijol de playa en el Perú antiguo, y la incertidumbre que la acompaña.

«Weedy hemp was already being used for shamanic and ritual purposes in central Asia in prehistoric times. The description that Herodotus (ca. 500–424 B.C.E.) provided us about the ancient Scythian86 use of hemp in purification and burial rituals has been confirmed by archaeological findings in the Altai Mountains of Mongolia» — el marco de la monografía del cáñamo ruderal: uso chamánico y ritual prehistórico en Asia central, con la descripción escita de Heródoto confirmada por los hallazgos del Altái.

«This small, wild hemp is still used in Mongolia for shamanic and medicinal purposes» — y la continuidad que Rätsch reporta: en Mongolia se sigue usando este cáñamo pequeño con fines chamánicos y medicinales.

«Recently, a Scythian shaman was found in an undisturbed and frozen grave in the Altai Mountains. Among the goods found with her were hashish and other hemp products» — el hallazgo arqueológico que Rätsch cita de la prensa: una chamana escita en una tumba congelada e intacta del Altái, con hachís y otros productos de cáñamo entre su ajuar.

«The oldest known literary evidence of the use of hemp is from Herodotus. In a comprehensive chapter of his History, he describes the social structure, religion, mythology, and customs of the Scythians» — la fuente más antigua del uso del cáñamo según Rätsch: Heródoto, que en un capítulo de su Historia describe estructura social, religión, mitología y costumbres de los escitas.

«When they have buried the dead, the relatives purify themselves as follows: they anoint and wash their heads; as to their bodies, they set up three sticks, leaning them against one another, and stretch, over these, woolen mats; and, having barricaded off this place as best they can, they make a pit in the center of the sticks and the mats and into it throw red-hot stones» — el pasaje de Heródoto que el libro reproduce: tras el entierro los parientes se purifican levantando una tienda de tres varas y mantas de lana con un pozo de piedras al rojo en el centro.

«The Scythians take the seed of this hemp and, creeping under the mats, throw the seed onto the stones as they glow with heat. The seed so cast on the stone gives off smoke and a vapor; no Greek steam bath could be stronger. The Scythians in their delight at the steam bath howl loudly» — y el núcleo de ese pasaje: los escitas echan la semilla sobre las piedras ardientes, el humo y el vapor superan a cualquier baño griego y ellos aúllan de gusto.

«It seems obvious that the hemp seeds were still attached to the inflorescences, for how else could a “smoke and a vapor” have resulted that would make the Scythians “howl loudly” in their delight» — la inferencia que Rätsch saca del texto de Heródoto: las semillas iban todavía en las inflorescencias, porque de otro modo no habría habido humo ni vapor que hiciera aullar de gusto a los escitas.

«Herodotus is describing a cult activity in which the relatives of the deceased would accompany the soul of the dead to the next world while in a shamanic trance» — y la lectura que propone del rito: los parientes del muerto acompañan su alma al otro mundo en trance chamánico.

«The ritual was intended to benefit both the soul of the deceased and the souls of those remaining behind. Hemp loosened the barriers of death and enabled people to take part in the immortality of the soul; it allowed a collective way to overcome grief» — el doble destinatario del rito y su función según Rätsch: el cáñamo afloja las barreras de la muerte, hace participar de la inmortalidad del alma y da un modo colectivo de vencer el duelo.

«Meuli (1935) has characterized this ritual use of weedy hemp as a “family shamanism” devoid of any pronounced specialization» — el nombre que Rätsch recoge de Meuli para ese uso ritual: un chamanismo de familia, sin especialización marcada.

«The Russian archaeologist S. I. Rudenko excavated a number of bronze incense vessels, over which a felt-covered frame still stood» — el hallazgo que Rätsch pone junto a Heródoto: Rudenko excavó varios vasos de bronce para incienso sobre los que aún se alzaba un armazón cubierto de fieltro.

«In addition to the stones already mentioned, both vessels were found to contain a large quantity of hemp seeds (Cannabis sativa L. of the variety C. ruderalis Janisch). Hemp seeds were also in one of the leather bottles described previously, which was attached to one of the poles of the hexapod that stood over the vessel in the form of a Scythian kettle. The stones in the incense vessels had been scorched and a portion of the hemp seeds blackened» — el informe de excavación que el libro reproduce: los dos vasos llenos de semillas de cáñamo, con las piedras chamuscadas y parte de las semillas ennegrecidas.

«Consequently, we have here complete sets of those utensils that were necessary to carry out the purification ritual that Herodotus so precisely recorded in reference to the Pontic Scythians» — y la conclusión de ese informe: se trata de juegos completos de los utensilios necesarios para el ritual de purificación que Heródoto describió.

«Sets of utensils for inhaling hemp were present in all of the Pazyryk kurgans, without exception. Even though the vessels and the wraps had been stolen by plunderers, with the exception of Kurgan II, the staffs remained in all of the kurgans» — la generalidad del hallazgo según el mismo informe: juegos para inhalar cáñamo en todos los kurganes de Pazyryk sin excepción, con las varas conservadas aun donde los saqueadores se llevaron los vasos.

«hemp was practiced not only during the purification rituals but also in daily life. . . . Here, both men and women smoked» — y la consecuencia que de ahí se sigue: el cáñamo no se fumaba solo en los ritos de purificación sino también en la vida diaria, y lo fumaban hombres y mujeres; el tramo abre en la plana 414 continuando el de la 413.

«It was found that in the Mongolian tradition Cannabis sativa and Cannabis ruderalis are used for different medicinal purposes. Cannabis sativa is usually used as a source of oil, whereas Cannabis ruderalis is esteemed more for its psychoactive properties» — el reparto de funciones que el proyecto de la Academia Mongola de Ciencias halló, según Rätsch: *Cannabis sativa* como fuente de aceite y *Cannabis ruderalis* por sus propiedades psicoactivas.

«It is very likely that Mongolian shamans in the Altai use Cannabis ruderalis as well as juniper to induce shamanic trances» — y la conjetura con que cierra: es muy probable que los chamanes mongoles del Altái usen el cáñamo ruderal y el enebro para inducir el trance.

«A colleague of mine at work is a ‘Russian-German’ from Tadjikistan. As we were first smoking something together a few days ago during lunch, he told me the following: ‘Where I come from, no one buys hashish or grass. It grows wild everywhere. To harvest, we only needed to ride through the pastures of hemp on our horses. After just a half hour, the legs of the horses were covered with resinous plant parts. All we needed to do was scrape it off» — el testimonio que el libro cita en recuadro: en Tayikistán nadie compra hachís porque crece silvestre, y basta cabalgar media hora por los pastizales para que las patas del caballo queden cubiertas de resina.

«It has also been suggested that the species can be divided into four phenotypes (chemotypes) (cf. Clarke 1981, 160). In my opinion, however, there is no justification for such a division, as any one population can exhibit considerable variation in cannabinoid content» — la objeción que Rätsch declara en primera persona a la división del cáñamo en cuatro quimiotipos: no la ve justificada, porque una misma población varía mucho en contenido de cannabinoides.

«These finds date from a period of peaceful, horticultural, pre-Indo-European cultures who venerated the Great Goddess (Gimbutas 1989) and knew of shamanism» — y el mundo al que adscribe esos hallazgos neolíticos: culturas hortícolas pacíficas preindoeuropeas que veneraban a la Gran Diosa y conocían el chamanismo.

«The linear band ceramics that lend their name to this Stone Age cultural epoch are decorated with graphics representing the archetypical motifs and patterns of hallucinatory or psychedelic themes» — la lectura que Rätsch recoge de Stahl para la cerámica de bandas: sus grafismos representan los motivos arquetípicos de los temas alucinatorios o psicodélicos.

«The oldest archaeological evidence for the cultural use of hemp points to it originally having been used in shamanic contexts» — la tesis con que Rätsch abre la historia del cáñamo textil: la evidencia arqueológica más antigua de su uso cultural apunta a un origen en contextos chamánicos.

«In Bavaria, finds of clay pipe bowls with wooden stems, discovered during excavations of the barrows of Bad Abbach-Heidfeld, indicate that cannabis or its products were being smoked more than 3,500 years ago, possibly together with sleeping poppy or opium» — el hallazgo bávaro que Rätsch data: cazoletas de pipa con caña de madera en los túmulos de Bad Abbach-Heidfeld, señal de que se fumaba cannabis hace más de tres mil quinientos años.

«Among the Germanic peoples, hemp was sacred to Freya, the goddess of love, and apparently was used as an inebriant in ritual and aphrodisiac contexts» — la adscripción germánica que Rätsch consigna: el cáñamo sagrado para Freya, diosa del amor, y usado al parecer como embriagante en contextos rituales y afrodisíacos.

«But here as well, the fresh plant also possesses an extremely potent, unpleasant, often intoxicating scent, and it is known that dizziness, headache, and even a kind of drunkenness frequently result if a person spends too much time in a blooming hemp field. It has also been observed that roasting hemp, as it is called, produces a similarly intoxicating scent» — la cita de Martius con que lo apoya: el olor de la planta fresca produce mareo, dolor de cabeza y hasta una especie de borrachera a quien pasa demasiado tiempo en un cañamar florido.

«Concerning the origin of the term cannabis, we know that there was a classical Greek expression cannabeizein, meaning “to inhale hemp smoke» — el dato lingüístico que Rätsch levanta: el griego clásico tenía un verbo que quiere decir inhalar humo de cáñamo.

«It’s true that marijuana is a fantastically effective aphrodisiac, and the person who understands pot can weave together a symphony of visual, auditory, olfactory, gustatory, tactual sensitivity to make lovemaking an adventure which dwarfs the imagination of the pornographers» — la frase de Timothy Leary que el libro cita en recuadro: la mariguana como afrodisíaco eficacísimo, capaz de tejer una sinfonía de sensibilidad que empequeñece la imaginación de los pornógrafos.

«Our present state of knowledge does not allow us to state with certainty when and where the ritual use of Cannabis sativa began» — la abstención que Rätsch declara sobre el uso ritual del cáñamo textil: el estado del conocimiento no permite decir con certeza cuándo ni dónde empezó.

«It is certain that shamans in ancient China knew of hemp, which they used to produce a shamanic state of consciousness so they could divine and heal» — lo que sí da por cierto: los chamanes de la China antigua conocían el cáñamo y lo usaban para producir el estado chamánico de consciencia con que adivinaban y curaban.

«In the earliest sources on the Chinese use of herbs, it is said that chronic use of ma-fen (“hemp fruits”) will enable one to “see devils” that can then be pressed into service» — la fórmula que Rätsch cita de las fuentes chinas más antiguas: el uso crónico de los frutos del cáñamo permite ver demonios que luego se ponen al servicio de uno.

«Unfortunately, these sources do not say how the hemp was ingested, i.e., whether it was eaten, drunk, or burned as incense» — y el hueco que declara en esa noticia: las fuentes no dicen cómo se ingería el cáñamo, si comido, bebido o quemado como incienso.

«The Greek archaeologist Sotiris Dakaris, who has been investigating the oracle of the dead at Acheron since 1959, discovered “bags full of black clumps of hashish» — el hallazgo griego que Rätsch registra: bolsas llenas de terrones negros de hachís en Efira, en el oráculo de los muertos del Aqueronte.

«It is entirely possible that the temple sleepers at Acheron were administered a hemp preparation so that their dreams would be especially vivid» — y la conjetura que de ahí saca: cabe que a los durmientes del templo del Aqueronte se les diera una preparación de cáñamo para que sus sueños fueran especialmente vivos.

«Egyptian mummies were stuffed with hashish (Balabanova et al. 1992). Thus, the ritual use (death cult) of hemp during the dynastic period in Egypt (New Kingdom) has been demonstrated for the second millennium B.C.E» — la evidencia egipcia que Rätsch alinea: cáñamo en la tumba de Amenofis IV, polen en la momia de Ramsés II y momias rellenas de hachís, con lo que el uso ritual funerario queda demostrado para el segundo milenio antes de nuestra era.

«In times past, however, it played an important role in numerous tribal rituals» — el contraste que Rätsch marca para Sudáfrica: hoy la dagga se fuma sobre todo por placer, y antes tuvo papel importante en numerosos rituales tribales.

«Its smoke was inhaled for divination, and it was sometimes smoked collectively for healing dances» — y los dos usos rituales sudafricanos que precisa: humo inhalado para adivinar y fumado colectivamente en las danzas de curación.

«In modern Germany, ritualized hemp use based upon traditional shamanic patterns (cf. Cannabis indica) is becoming increasingly common. Because of the legal situation, however, these so-called hemp healing circles have not yet been described in any detail» — el fenómeno contemporáneo que Rätsch reporta y la razón de su opacidad: los círculos de curación con cáñamo de patrón chamánico crecen en Alemania y no se han descrito en detalle por la situación legal.

«preparations have a stimulating and invigorating effect upon the nervous system in small doses. This is why the physician will prescribe it for great exhaustion and debility following physical exertion. Larger amounts are sedative. For this reason, it is sometimes administered in the place of morphine. It is also a good agent for diseases of the urinary apparatus» — la voz de E. W. Zimmerer que el libro cita en recuadro: el cáñamo estimulante a dosis pequeñas y sedante a dosis mayores, administrado a veces en lugar de la morfina.

«A treatment for the eyes: celery; hemp; is ground and left in the dew overnight. Both eyes of the patient are to be washed with it early in the morning» — la receta del papiro Ramesseum II que Rätsch traduce: apio y cáñamo molidos y dejados al sereno, con los que se lavan de mañana los ojos del paciente.

«This interpretation is very revealing, for ophthalmologists still have not developed a medicine better than hemp for treating glaucoma» — y la lectura que hace de esa receta, interpretada como tratamiento del glaucoma: la oftalmología sigue sin tener una medicina mejor que el cáñamo para esa enfermedad.

«Those women who have cramps in the womb / for them hemp should be burned / and held to the nose» — la receta de Tabernaemontanus que Rätsch destaca como primera mención escrita del cáñamo fumado con fin medicinal en la literatura alemana: quemarlo y acercarlo a la nariz de la mujer con calambres.

«Hemp’s ability to improve mood did not escape Democritus (460–371 B.C.E.), the “laughing philosopher,” who called the plant potamaugis. He noted that when this plant is drunk in wine (cf. Vitis vinifera) together with myrrh (Commiphora molmol Engl.), it produces delirium and visions. He was especially struck by the immoderate laughter that invariably followed such a drink» — lo que Rätsch atribuye a Demócrito sobre el cáñamo: lo llamó potamaugis, dijo que bebido en vino con mirra produce delirio y visiones, y le llamó la atención la risa desmedida que seguía.

«wrote that in Italy it was customary to serve small cakes containing hemp for dessert. These would increase the desire to drink» — el uso romano que Rätsch adjudica a Galeno: en Italia era costumbre servir de postre pastelillos con cáñamo, que aumentaban el deseo de beber.

«It appears that the introduced hemp, with its better effects, supplanted the use of indigenous smoking herbs» — la sustitución que Rätsch registra en África: el cáñamo introducido, de mejores efectos, desplazó a las hierbas de fumar indígenas.

«In medieval Islamic society, hemp products were used primarily as sacred plants to support meditation in various Sufi and dervish orders» — el uso islámico medieval que Rätsch consigna: productos de cáñamo como plantas sagradas de apoyo a la meditación en varias órdenes sufíes y derviches.

«In Switzerland, the hemp fields in the allmend (the collective fields» — el uso suizo que Rätsch registra de Lussi: los cañamares comunales como escenario de rituales paganos y eróticos; el tramo se corta en el límite de plana y la frase termina en la 428 con las danzas de brujas.

«The plant became so closely identified with its mystical use by the Sufis that it became known as the “hashish of the poor» — y el nombre que de ahí salió: la planta quedó tan identificada con su uso místico entre los sufíes que se la llamó el hachís de los pobres.

«In Bohemia, hemp is a febrifuge. To cure lumbago in France (Côte d’Or), you should tie a thread from the male hemp plant around the hips» — la voz de Siegfried Seligmann que el libro cita en recuadro sobre los usos mágicos del cáñamo: febrífugo en Bohemia, y un hilo de la planta macho atado a las caderas contra el lumbago en Francia.

«Hemp connoisseurs regard any marijuana (= female hemp flowers) that contains more than just a few seeds as inferior in quality. They prefer those psychoactive, THC-rich sorts that form no or few seeds. These are known as sinsemilla, literally» — el criterio de calidad que Rätsch registra entre los conocedores: la mariguana con más que unas pocas semillas se tiene por inferior, y las variedades sin semilla se llaman sinsemilla; el tramo se corta antes de las comillas de la fuente.

«Because of pressure from law enforcement, cannabis intended for smoking is being grown in closed rooms with ever greater frequency. The cultivation of highly potent sorts in greenhouses is now especially common in the Netherlands» — la consecuencia agronómica de la persecución legal que Rätsch señala: el cannabis para fumar se cultiva cada vez más en interiores, y los invernaderos de variedades potentes son hoy sobre todo neerlandeses.

«When two clones of a female hemp plant grow in two totally different surroundings, i.e., one perhaps in shade and the other in full sun, their genotypes remain identical. But the clone grown in the shade will grow tall and slender and mature late, whereas the clone exposed to sunlight will remain small and bushy and mature much sooner» — la cita de Clarke con que Rätsch explica el peso de la luz: dos clones de la misma planta hembra conservan idéntico genotipo, y el de la sombra crece alto y tardío mientras el del sol queda bajo y madura antes.

«Spectacular results were achieved in experiments in which Cannabis sativa was grafted onto Humulus lupulus and Humulus japonicus. Here, four-week-old hops seedlings were cut straight across. The stems were split, and a cannabis stalk that had also been split was placed into each hops seedling’s stem, after which the two were tied together with cellulose. Over 30% of these grafted plants survived and developed into large plants. When THC-rich hemp is grafted onto Humulus, it continues to produce high quantities of constituents» — el injerto que Rätsch reporta: cáñamo sobre lúpulo, con más del treinta por ciento de las plantas injertadas sobrevivientes y produciendo constituyentes en cantidad.

«Unfortunately, this does not occur when hops is grafted onto cannabis» — y la asimetría que consigna: el fenómeno no se da cuando el lúpulo se injerta sobre el cannabis.

«Since every cannabis sort is genetically unique and exhibits at least a few genes that cannot be found in other sorts, these unique genes are lost forever when a sort dies out. If genetic problems should appear as a result of excessive inbreeding of commercial sorts, then these new sorts might not be as resistant to previously unknown threats from the environment. Then, for example, it would be possible for a plant disease to spread with great speed and simultaneously befall and destroy several fields. For a farmer, the loss of a large part of the crop means immense financial losses. In this way, entire sorts can disappear forever» — la advertencia de Robert C. Clarke que el libro cita en recuadro: cada variedad de cannabis es genéticamente única y sus genes propios se pierden para siempre cuando la variedad se extingue.

«Archaeological discoveries indicate that the prehistoric Hohokam (1150–1350 C.E.) used the saguaro for a variety of purposes (Hodge 1991, 48; Nabhan 1986, 32). The cactus has continued to play a central role in the cultures of the Southwest into the present day» — el marco de la monografía del saguaro: uso hohokam prehistórico y papel central del cactus en las culturas del suroeste hasta hoy.

«In 1540, Spanish conquistadors, marching to the north under the command of Coronado, first mentioned the cactus as well as the wine produced from it under the name pitahaya» — y la primera noticia colonial que Rätsch fecha: los conquistadores de Coronado mencionan en 1540 el cactus y el vino que de él se hace.

«Ready, friend! Are we here not drinking The shaman’s drink, The magician’s drink! We mix it with our drunken tears and drink» — la canción de bebida papago que el libro cita en recuadro: la bebida del chamán y del mago, mezclada con las lágrimas de la borrachera.

«The Tohono O’odham (= Papago) venerate the saguaro as a sacred tree. They explain that it arose from drops of sweat that fell from the eyebrows of I’itoi, the older brother of the tribal pantheon, in the morning dew and condensed into pearls» — el mito de origen que Rätsch recoge: los tohono o'odham veneran el saguaro como árbol sagrado nacido de las gotas de sudor caídas de las cejas de I'itoi, el hermano mayor del panteón tribal; el tramo se corta antes del apóstrofo.

«According to a different origin myth, the cactus was once a boy. When his mother was not watching, he became lost in the desert and fell into a tarantula hole. He reemerged as a cactus» — y el mito alternativo que consigna sin armonizar: el cactus fue un niño que se perdió en el desierto, cayó en un agujero de tarántula y volvió a salir como cactus.

«This may explain why, after a child is born, the O’odham bury the placenta next to a saguaro. Doing so is said to secure the child a long life» — la práctica que Rätsch liga a ese mito: enterrar la placenta junto a un saguaro después del nacimiento, con lo que se asegura larga vida al niño.

«On the vernal equinox, the O’odham sing special songs throughout the night to aid the cactus fruits in their development» — y el canto calendárico que registra: en el equinoccio de primavera se canta toda la noche para ayudar a los frutos del cactus a desarrollarse; el tramo se corta antes del apóstrofo.

«The ritual is both a conjuration of rain—an extremely important ceremony in the desert—and a socially integrative tribal celebration and harvest festival» — la doble naturaleza que Rätsch da a la ceremonia del vino de saguaro: conjuro de lluvia, cosa capital en el desierto, y a la vez fiesta tribal integradora y de cosecha.

«In a kind of sympathetic magic, all the members of the tribe drink copious amounts of nawait. They do this in imitation of nature, for “the earth drinks water” so that the plants, and especially the cacti, can thrive» — y la magia simpática que la explica: todos beben en abundancia a imitación de la naturaleza, porque la tierra bebe agua para que las plantas prosperen.

«During the festival, songs and texts are presented that describe the life cycle of the cactus, the proper ways of harvesting the fruits, and the influence the cactus spirit has upon the “rain house” in which the weather is made» — el contenido de los cantos de esa fiesta: el ciclo de vida del cactus, el modo correcto de cosechar el fruto y la influencia del espíritu del cactus sobre la casa de la lluvia donde se hace el tiempo.

«During the festival, a person is not allowed to ask for a drink but must wait until one is offered» — la regla de cortesía ritual que Rätsch consigna: en la fiesta no se pide de beber, se espera a que se ofrezca.

«As is the case in the ceremonies of many tribes of the Southwest, a ceremonial clown appears at the festival and makes fun of the ritual. The O’odham ceremonial clown (Naviju dancer) is regarded as a personification of the saguaro» — la figura del payaso ceremonial que se burla del rito, y a quien Rätsch identifica como personificación del saguaro.

«To date, we know of no psychoactive use of the cactus flesh or an alkaloid-rich preparation made from it. It is possible that there might have once been such a use, for the saguaro is also regarded as a peyote substitute» — la negativa con que Rätsch cierra el uso ritual del saguaro, con la conjetura pegada: no se conoce uso psicoactivo de su carne, y cabe que lo hubiera, porque se lo tiene por sustituto del peyote.

«Some songs, especially the dream songs, are said to have been inspired by the effects of the wine» — y el origen que se atribuye a los cantos de sueño de los o'odham: inspirados por los efectos del vino de saguaro.

«The dreams and feelings that are experienced in inebriation are generally attributed to a supernatural origin and are considered essential for certain undertakings. Among the Pima and the Papago, drunkenness in the context of the annual rain dance held great significance. A fermented drink was obtained from the juice of saguaro, pitahaya, or nopal cactus fruits. In a kind of sympathetic magic, they believed that drinking alcohol would induce clouds to form, which would soon burst and satiate the world with water» — la voz de Serge Bramley que el libro cita en recuadro: los sueños de la embriaguez se atribuyen a origen sobrenatural, y beber alcohol induciría por magia simpática la formación de las nubes.

«In laboratory tests with monkeys and cats, the alkaloid gigantine was found to induce hallucinations» — el dato de laboratorio que Rätsch cita para la gigantina del saguaro: indujo alucinaciones en monos y gatos.

«It is interesting to ponder, however, how we are able to recognize that animals that are incapable of speech are having hallucinations» — y la objeción metodológica con que lo acota en primera persona del plural: cómo se reconoce que un animal incapaz de hablar está alucinando.

«All that has been reported about the effects of saguaro wine is that it produces “good feelings» — el saldo que Rätsch da para el vino de saguaro: lo único reportado de sus efectos son buenos sentimientos.

«The use of psychoactive khat leaves is very old, with roots that definitely predate coffee (Coffea arabica) drinking» — el marco de la monografía del khat: uso muy antiguo, con raíces que Rätsch data sin duda antes del café; el tramo se corta antes del paréntesis de remisión.

«Among them is a tree that is called gât. It does not bear fruit, people eat its leaves, and these resemble the small leaves of the orange tree. They expand the memory and in doing so call the forgotten back into mind. They give pleasure and diminish the desire for food, sexuality, and sleep. For the inhabitants of that land, not to mention the educated, the consumption of this tree is associated with great longing» — el pasaje de Al-Maqrîzî que el libro reproduce: el árbol cuyas hojas expanden la memoria y devuelven lo olvidado, dan placer y disminuyen el deseo de comida, sexo y sueño.

«It is said that the goatherd Awzulkernayien observed how his goats ate the leaves of a shrub, after which they behaved in a frisky manner. The goatherd then tried the fresh leaves, whereupon he immediately felt more awake and stronger than he ever had before. Before turning in to sleep that night, he chewed a few more of the leaves he had brought with him. He was unable to sleep the entire night and spent it instead in prayer and meditation. Following this, khat was proclaimed to be a sacred tree and regarded as a wondrous medicine» — el mito de origen yemení que Rätsch reproduce: el cabrero que ve retozar a sus cabras tras comer el arbusto, prueba las hojas, pasa la noche en vela rezando, y de ahí el khat proclamado árbol sagrado.

«According to a different legend, two saints who often prayed throughout the night were constantly falling asleep or fighting to avoid sleep. They prayed to God that he would give them a means to prevent them from falling asleep. An angel appeared to them and showed them a plant to eat that would help them remain awake and pray through the night» — y la leyenda alternativa, consignada sin armonizar: dos santos que se dormían rezando piden a Dios un medio de velar y un ángel les muestra la planta.

«Charles Musès has proposed the theory that khat was already regarded as a “food of the gods,” “divine food,” or “food of existence” in ancient Egypt and was used for magical purposes» — la tesis de Charles Musès que Rätsch consigna en voz ajena: el khat ya tenido en el Egipto antiguo por alimento de los dioses o alimento de la existencia, y usado con fines mágicos.

«Even the smoke of Delphi (cf. Hyoscyamus albus) was said to have come from khat leaves and to have been inhaled as a psychoactive incense» — la cuarta identificación de esa serie: el humo de Delfos hecho de hojas de khat inhaladas como incienso psicoactivo.

«It was only during the early 1980s that Swiss scientists discovered the actual psychoactive constituent, the amphetamine-like cathinone» — y la fecha del hallazgo químico que ordena la monografía: la catinona, de tipo anfetamínico, hallada por científicos suizos a principios de los años ochenta.

«It is generally said that tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum) should be smoked along with khat, as it will potentiate the effects of the khat» — la regla de mezcla que Rätsch registra: se dice que hay que fumar tabaco junto con el khat porque potencia su efecto.

«Most Muslims who live in areas where khat is grown regard both the bush and its leaves as sacred and utter a prayer of thanks before they use it» — el marco ritual que Rätsch da al khat: la mayoría de los musulmanes de las zonas de cultivo tienen por sagrados el arbusto y sus hojas y rezan una oración de gracias antes de usarlo.

«In Ethiopia, traditionally only the older men chewed khat, and then only in conjunction with religious rites. They chewed the leaves and drank coffee so that they could remain awake for the long prayers» — y el uso etíope tradicional: solo los hombres mayores lo mascaban, y solo en ritos religiosos, para poder velar durante las oraciones largas.

«Over the course of time, people began to chew khat leaves while watching over the sick, at marriages and funerals, and during business negotiations. Today, khat leaves are chewed by men and women of all ages, including students and children» — la deriva social que registra: de ahí se pasó a mascar khat velando enfermos, en bodas, entierros y negociaciones, y hoy lo mascan hombres y mujeres de toda edad.

«Ethiopian dervishes use khat as part of their religious healing ceremonies. They chew consecrated leaves and then spit upon the ill before pronouncing prayers and magical formulae over them» — el uso terapéutico derviche que Rätsch describe: mascan hojas consagradas y escupen sobre el enfermo antes de pronunciar oraciones y fórmulas mágicas.

«Most Yemenites chew khat every day in a social round whose structure adheres to precisely defined ritual forms. Because of their socially integrative nature, these rounds play a central role in Yemenite society» — la institución social yemení que Rätsch describe: rondas diarias de khat con formas rituales precisas, que por su carácter integrador tienen papel central en la sociedad.

«The activities change as the effects of the khat run their course. At first, the members of the round converse excitedly with one another about contemporary political topics, current events, gossip, and Islam. As the effects begin to diminish some two hours later, the participants weary and the conversations dwindle. At this time, the circle breaks up» — y la curva de esas rondas: primero conversación excitada de política, actualidad, chismes e islam, y a las dos horas el cansancio, la conversación que decae y el círculo que se deshace.

«Let the jewels of qât go around, emerald leaves of the small leaves. Its ingestion sweetens my heart, its sight my eye, my condition and my times are pleasant because of it. Its hearts [i.e., the leaves] bear the secrets that they place in our hearts» — la casida del siglo XVI de Abdallâh ibn al-Imâm Saraf ad-Dîn que el libro reproduce: las joyas del qât que endulzan el corazón y cuyas hojas llevan los secretos que ponen en el corazón.

«Qât is] the Burâq of the ascension of my heart, as soon as it needs it. Gabriel is my heart, who travels to the highest heaven» — y la imagen central de esa casida: el qât como el Burâq de la ascensión del corazón, con Gabriel por corazón que viaja al cielo más alto; el verbatim arranca tras el corchete editorial del libro, que queda fuera.

«Its use, say the Mursidûn [Sufis], is like the enlightenment of the mysteries, the seclusion of the forty days» — la equivalencia que la misma casida atribuye a los sufíes: el uso del qât como la iluminación de los misterios y el retiro de los cuarenta días.

«I have never wanted to ascend into the heaven of my view in the universe, unless I can make qât my ladder» — y el verso final de esa casida: no querer ascender al cielo de la visión del universo si no es haciendo del qât su escalera.

«In Ethiopia, it is believed that khat can cure 501 diseases and afflictions, as the numerical value of its Arabic name, ga-a-t, is 400 + 100 + 1» — la creencia etíope que Rätsch consigna con su aritmética dentro: el khat cura quinientas una enfermedades, porque ese es el valor numérico de su nombre árabe.

«Surprisingly, leaves from khat bushes grown in the United States and Europe have been found to contain little or almost no alkaloids» — el dato que Rätsch destaca por sorprendente: las hojas de arbustos de khat cultivados en los Estados Unidos y en Europa contienen pocos alcaloides o casi ninguno.

«Khat chewing initially induces a cheerful mood, gaiety, and euphoria, together with a certain talkativeness. This state of arousal diminishes after about two hours» — la curva del efecto del khat: ánimo alegre, euforia y locuacidad que decaen a las dos horas.

«Sufis and dervishes use khat to produce an ecstatic state, but khat “will not induce this if the greatest intention is not present. If it does not appear, then you are negligent» — la condición que Rätsch cita para el éxtasis con khat entre sufíes y derviches: no se produce si no está presente la intención mayor, y si no aparece es que hubo negligencia.

«In other words, ecstatic effects occur only when set and setting are taken into consideration» — y la lectura que Rätsch hace de esa condición con su propio vocabulario: el efecto extático solo ocurre cuando se atiende al *set* y al *setting*.

«For centuries, khat has been used traditionally in Islamic cultures and tolerated by the Koran as a part of religious and social life. Consuming khat in groups is especially popular, as this is said to increase the ability to communicate and stimulate the fantasy and power of imagination. When working, khat is consumed individually, primarily for its performance-enhancing and hunger-suppressing effects» — la voz de Brennesien y Mathys que el libro cita en recuadro: el khat tolerado por el Corán como parte de la vida religiosa y social, consumido en grupo para comunicar e imaginar y a solas para rendir y no tener hambre.

«n doing so, you see things of rare knowledge that belong to God» — la fórmula sufí que Rätsch cita sobre lo que el khat permite ver: cosas de conocimiento raro que pertenecen a la magnificencia de Dios; el verbatim arranca tras el corchete editorial del libro y se corta antes del apóstrofo.

«Others have suggested that the Homeric nepenthes was in fact khat» — la identificación que Rätsch registra sin hacerla suya: el nepenthes homérico como khat; el tramo se corta en el límite de plana y la frase sigue en la 451 con la medicina de Alejandro.

«During the early phase of khat research, it was thought that the leaves contained caffeine, an assumption that none of the studies was able to verify» — la historia de identificaciones fallidas del principio activo del khat que Rätsch traza: primero la cafeína, que ningún estudio pudo verificar.

«The Sufis and the wandering dervishes played a great role in the early spread of khat use (Schopen 1981). They regarded the ingestion of the leaves as a sacred activity and used khat to achieve mystical experiences» — el papel que Rätsch da a los sufíes y a los derviches errantes en la difusión temprana del khat: tenían la ingestión de las hojas por actividad sagrada y la usaban para alcanzar experiencias místicas.

«Ethiopian Christians claim that “insanity” is prevalent among Muslims because of their constant khat use» — la acusación cruzada que Rätsch consigna sin arbitrar: los cristianos etíopes atribuyen la locura extendida entre los musulmanes a su uso constante de khat.

«Physical dependence (in the sense in which this is understood for morphine and substances with morphine-like effects or of the barbiturate type) does not occur [with khat], even when some tolerance to the effects has been acquired» — el documento de la Organización Mundial de la Salud de 1964 que Rätsch cita: no hay dependencia física del khat en el sentido en que se entiende para la morfina o los barbitúricos, aun cuando se adquiera cierta tolerancia.

«All the attempts to suppress khat use in Yemen or even to replace it with chewing gum (!) have—quite rightly—failed» — el saldo que Rätsch da, con su juicio pegado entre rayas: todos los intentos de suprimir el khat en Yemen o de sustituirlo por goma de mascar han fracasado, y él añade que con razón.

«On the black market, one can occasionally find so-called khat pills (Nexus). Although the label often indicates that these pills contain extracts of Catha edulis, they actually consist of pure 2-CB, a synthetic phenethylamine with empathogenic effects» — la sustitución que Rätsch denuncia en el mercado negro: las píldoras de khat que dicen llevar extracto de *Catha edulis* son en realidad 2-CB, una fenetilamina sintética de efectos empatógenos.

«At exactly two o’clock in the afternoon, the proud Yemenite people roll down their store blinds and leave work to go straight to their inebriation, the qat inebriation. I have rarely seen a people who are as full of themselves as the Yemenite people are with qat. I have seldom encountered a people that could puff up its cheeks so mightily. With qat. Show me your cheeks, and I will tell you if you are from Yemen. Fat cheeks appear to be the primary physical effect of this people» — la voz de Micky Remann que el libro cita en recuadro: a las dos en punto los yemeníes bajan las cortinas y se van a su embriaguez, con los carrillos hinchados por efecto físico principal; el tramo se corta antes del apóstrofo.

«Khat use induces a general state of well-being. The consumers become cheerful, excited, and talkative. Problems appear to be more easily dealt with, the sense of space and time partially disappears, without hallucinations being produced» — la descripción de Karoline Mathys que el libro cita: el khat da bienestar general, alegría, excitación y locuacidad, y hace desaparecer en parte el sentido del espacio y del tiempo sin producir alucinaciones.

«It is unknown whether these psychoactive plants were used for ritual or medicinal purposes during pre-Spanish times, but it is possible. To date, no traditional psychoactive use has been documented» — la doble declaración de ignorancia con que Rätsch abre la monografía del huele de noche: no se sabe si se usó ritual o medicinalmente antes de la conquista, y no se ha documentado uso psicoactivo tradicional alguno.

«When rubbed, the fresh leaves release a scent similar to that of the fresh leaves of Datura innoxia and Datura stramonium» — el rasgo que emparenta al huele de noche con las solanáceas embriagantes: frotadas, sus hojas frescas huelen como las del toloache.

«In the beginning Hachäkyum, our true lord, created the night foam tree, for Hachäkyum was to create Kisin, the lord of death. He created Kisin. “He planted the night foam tree, for when it was night, the flowers of the night foam tree were to open and Kisin was to blossom out of these. Kisin, the lord of death, was born there of the night foam tree» — el mito de creación lacandón que el libro reproduce: Hachäkyum planta el árbol de la espuma de la noche para que en sus flores nocturnas naciera Kisin, el señor de la muerte.

«In the mythology of the Lacandon of Naha’, who have preserved the pre-Hispanic cosmology of the Maya (cf. balche’) into the present day, the lord of death (Kisin) was born from a flower of Cestrum nocturnum» — la lectura que Rätsch hace de ese mito: los lacandones de Nahá conservan la cosmología maya prehispánica, y en ella el señor de la muerte nace de una flor de esta planta; el tramo se corta antes del apóstrofo.

«It is possible that the ancient Maya may have used the plant in necromantic rituals. Apart from this, we do not yet know of any traditional use of the plant for psychoactive purposes» — y la conjetura que de ahí saca, con su negativa pegada: cabe que los antiguos mayas usaran la planta en ritos nigrománticos, y fuera de eso no se conoce uso tradicional psicoactivo.

«Simply inhaling the scent of this plant deeply is said to be sufficient to induce psychoactive effects (Argueta et al. 1994, 830f.*). The berries as well as the leaves are also reputedly able to induce hallucinations» — los efectos que Rätsch consigna en voz pasiva: bastaría inhalar hondo el aroma de la planta para tener efectos psicoactivos, y bayas y hojas se dicen capaces de inducir alucinaciones.

«Since pre-Columbian times, the Mapuche of southern Chile have used this plant for medicinal and probably ritual purposes» — el marco de la monografía del palqui: uso mapuche medicinal y probablemente ritual desde antes de la conquista.

«According to Ochsenius [1884], the Chonos (sic) Indians on the island of Chiloe smoke the herbage of another nightshade known as palguin (Cestrum parqui L’Hérit.) when tobacco is lacking. It is possible that this is a remnant of a smoking custom that is older than [that of] tobacco» — la cita de Hartwich que Rätsch destaca: los indios de Chiloé fuman el palqui a falta de tabaco, y quizá sea resto de una costumbre de fumar más antigua que la del tabaco.

«In southern Chile, this sacred plant is used in shamanic healing activities. The plant possesses the virtue or power known as contra, which resists attacks by sorcerers or black shamans» — el uso ritual del palqui que Rätsch describe: planta sagrada de la curación chamánica del sur de Chile, con la virtud llamada contra, que resiste los ataques de los brujos o chamanes negros.

«Since illnesses are often produced by other shamans, they can best be healed by a shaman with the aid of palqui» — y la lógica terapéutica que la sostiene: como las enfermedades las produce a menudo otro chamán, un chamán las cura mejor con ayuda del palqui.

«The stems are used to make wooden crosses that are attached to the windows or outer walls of houses as a magical protection against disease demons. A tea also protects from susto (“fright”) and mal de ojo (“evil eye”) and is drunk during purification ceremonies» — los usos apotropaicos que registra: cruces de madera de palqui en ventanas y muros contra los demonios de la enfermedad, y té contra el susto y el mal de ojo en las limpias.

«The shamans of the Kamsá (Sibundoy, Colombia) refer to one Cestrum species as borrachero andoke. They press the leaves of the plant in water and drink the resulting solution so that they can see things as if under the influence of ayahuasca» — el uso kamsá que Rätsch consigna: prensan las hojas de un *Cestrum* en agua y beben la solución para ver las cosas como bajo la ayahuasca.

«In Chile, it is said that “wherever the devil has put ants, there God has planted a palqui tree» — el dicho chileno que Rätsch recoge sobre la planta y las hormigas: donde el diablo puso hormigas, Dios plantó un palqui.

«The juice of hediondilla heals wounds. I saw how the natives used it to heal a boy’s dog bite. A heated solution is used to bathe the feet in order to free them of brackish slime and heal all kinds of inflammations and immoderate heat» — el testimonio de Bernabé Cobo que el libro cita en recuadro sobre la hediondilla: zumo que cura heridas, con el caso del muchacho mordido por un perro, y baño de pies contra toda clase de inflamaciones.

«It is said that the patient will fall into a mild state of delirium if he drinks (too much) of the tea» — la reserva que Rätsch pone al té de *Cestrum ochraceum* de los sibundoy: se dice que el paciente cae en un delirio leve si bebe demasiado.

«Smoking Cestrum parqui leaves produces effects that are clearly psychoactive and are reminiscent of the effects of smoking Brugmansia leaves. However, no dryness of the mouth occurs. The effects are relatively weak and are perceived as a mild euphoria and physical relaxation» — el efecto del palqui fumado que Rätsch describe: claramente psicoactivo y parecido al de la hoja de floripondio, pero sin sequedad de boca, con euforia leve y relajación física.

«In Asia, camphor has been a much praised aphrodisiac98 and remedy since ancient times» — el marco de la monografía del alcanfor: afrodisíaco muy alabado y remedio en Asia desde antiguo.

«In the Roaring Twenties, camphor often was used as an inebriant» — el uso moderno que Rätsch data: en los años veinte el alcanfor se usaba a menudo como embriagante.

«In Japan, camphor is an important ingredient in ritual incenses. It is also one of the most important incense materials in the traditional Tibetan Tantra cult (Yeshe Tsogyal 1996) and has enormous ritual significance, especially in southern India» — los tres marcos rituales del alcanfor que Rätsch alinea: los inciensos japoneses, el culto tántrico tibetano tradicional y, sobre todo, el sur de la India.

«Once a year, the priests celebrate her great festival. As soon as it begins in the temple, a gigantic flame is lit on the peak of the mountain [and] is fed by great quantities of butter and camphor. It burns for days and is visible for miles» — el rito de Arunachala que Rätsch cita de Brunton: una llama gigantesca encendida en la cima del monte rojo y alimentada con mantequilla y alcanfor, que arde días y se ve a millas.

«This cult is closely associated with Shiva, the god of ecstasy and inebriants, to whom camphor is also sacred» — y la adscripción divina que le da: el culto ligado a Shiva, dios del éxtasis y de los embriagantes, a quien el alcanfor también es sagrado.

«According to our sacred legends, the god Shiva once appeared as a fiery flame at the peak of the sacred red mountain. For this reason, once a year the priests of the temple light the great fire to commemorate this event, which must have occurred thousands of years ago. I assume that the temple was built for this festival, as Shiva still protects the mountain» — la explicación que Brunton recoge en boca del lugar: Shiva se apareció como llama de fuego en la cima del monte rojo, y por eso los sacerdotes encienden cada año el gran fuego.

«Along with the Hantu belief and the conception that things in nature could be charmed was a peculiar custom which, however, was found only among the Jakun and was known only by the name camphor language (Bhasa Kapor). The natives used the term “pantang kâpûr” (Malay, “pantang” = forbidden) for this, which expresses the fact that it is forbidden to use the normal Malay language while they are searching for camphor» — la costumbre malaya que el libro cita de Martin: la lengua del alcanfor de los jakun, que prohíbe usar el malayo corriente mientras se busca alcanfor.

«In fact, the Jakun believe that a “bisân” [“woman”] or spirit watches over the camphor trees [Dryobalanops aromatica] and that it is impossible to obtain camphor before a person has made her kindly disposed to them. During the night, it gives off shrill sounds . . . , and this is evidence that camphor trees are near. To placate the camphor spirit, the Jakun give it a part of their food before they themselves eat . . . , eat some soil, and utilize the special language» — y la creencia que la sostiene: un espíritu femenino vela los árboles de alcanfor, se lo oye de noche, y hay que congraciárselo con comida y con la lengua especial antes de obtener la resina.

«Indeed, since about two decades one encounters in the upper circles of English society camphor eating men and women, who ingest the agent in milk, alcohol, pills, etc. The same can be found in the United States and in Slovakia. Women maintain that it gives them a fresh complexion. But the true motive appears to be that they achieve a certain state of excitation or inebriation that admittedly, it seems to me, requires a special deposition» — el testimonio de Lewin sobre los comedores de alcanfor de la alta sociedad inglesa: las mujeres decían que da buen cutis, y él sospecha que el motivo verdadero era un estado de excitación o embriaguez.

«Today, camphor is used in Amazonia by mestizo shamans in connection with ayahuasca» — el uso vivo que Rätsch reporta: chamanes mestizos de la Amazonía usan alcanfor en relación con la ayahuasca.

«In Japan, the aromatic camphor wood is carved into ritual masks, e.g., of tengu (see Amanita muscaria, ibotenic acid) for the gagaku dance festivals» — el artefacto japonés que registra: máscaras rituales talladas en madera aromática de alcanfor para las fiestas de danza gagaku.

«In Chinese, the white, aromatic camphor resin is known as long nao xiang, “dragon brain» — el nombre chino del alcanfor que Rätsch da con su traducción: cerebro de dragón.

«We do not know whether the congealed camphor reminded them of a brain and was ascribed to the king of animals because it was so rare and precious, or whether the name is derived from the fact that camphor was reserved for the emperor, the» — la duda etimológica que Rätsch cita de Fazzioli sobre ese nombre: si la resina cuajada recordaba un cerebro y se adjudicó al rey de los animales por rara y preciosa, o si el nombre viene de que el alcanfor se reservaba al emperador; el tramo se corta antes de las comillas de la fuente.

«In China and Tibet, the camphor tree was long regarded as the “king of far eastern medicinal plants,” for “camphor is comparable to a ‘wild man’ (Yeti, the snow man of the Himalayas» — la fórmula que Rätsch recoge de Kaufmann: el alcanforero tenido por rey de las plantas medicinales del Lejano Oriente, y el alcanfor comparable a un hombre salvaje.

«Camphor increases prana, opens the senses, imparts clarity to the mind. . . . A pinch of camphor powder is sniffed when the nose is congested, for headaches, and to increase perception. During a puja, a religious service, camphor is burned as incense in order to purify the atmosphere and promote meditation» — la cita de Lad y Frawley sobre el alcanfor en el ayurveda: aumenta el prana, abre los sentidos y da claridad a la mente, y en la puja se quema como incienso para purificar la atmósfera y favorecer la meditación.

«In the medical and toxicological literature, one repeatedly reads that high dosages of camphor can induce hallucinations» — lo que Rätsch registra de la literatura médica y toxicológica: que dosis altas de alcanfor pueden inducir alucinaciones.

«The king washed the jewel in purifying water, attached it to the top of a victory banner, enveloped it in the aromatic smoke of camphor and sandalwood, and spread an immeasurable series of offerings out in front of it. He then bathed, put on clean garments, and, after paying his respects to the gods of the four directions, spoke the following prayer: If this incomparable jewel that I have found truly is the perfect and precious wish-fulfilling jewel, so may everything humans and other beings wish for fall like a blessing rain» — el pasaje de Yeshe Tsogyal que el libro cita en recuadro: el rey envuelve la joya en humo aromático de alcanfor y sándalo y pide que, si es la joya que cumple los deseos, todo lo que los seres deseen caiga como lluvia de bendición.

«After ingestion of app. 1.2 g, the following can appear: a pleasant feeling of warmth of the skin and a general stimulation of the nerves, a need for movement, a tingling in the skin, and a peculiar, inebriation-like, ecstatic, mental excitement. “According to one such self-experimenter, the effects were clear and obvious with tendencies of the most beautiful kind.” This condition lasted for one and a half hours. After ingestion of 2.4 g, a need for movement was felt. All movements were easier. When walking, the thighs were raised higher than usual. Mental work was impossible. A flood of thoughts occurred, one idea wildly followed another, quickly, without one persisting. The consciousness of the personality was lost» — el relato de autoexperimentación que Lewin recoge y el libro cita: calor agradable, hormigueo y excitación mental extática con gramo y medio, y con el doble una avalancha de ideas y la pérdida de la consciencia de la personalidad; tramo largo de más de 700 caracteres, cita que el libro reproduce como unidad, extraído con la guarda anticosido apagada y cotejado contiguo contra el crudo por cf.auditar.

«When resorbed, mild toxic effects include central stimulation, dizziness, headache, a state of inebriation like that produced by alcohol, with sensory delusions and delusional ideas; kidney irritation occurs, rarely hematuria. With frequent use of camphor,“camphor addiction” can develop» — el cuadro tóxico que Rätsch cita de Fühner: estimulación central, mareo, dolor de cabeza y una embriaguez como la del alcohol con ilusiones sensoriales, y con el uso frecuente lo que llama adicción al alcanfor.

«In Spain, the children carry a small linen sack containing camphor to ward off the evil eye. . . . In India, the child is bathed in smoke to protect against the evil eye» — la voz de Siegfried Seligmann que el libro cita en recuadro: el saquito de alcanfor que los niños llevan en España contra el mal de ojo, y el baño de humo indio con el mismo fin.

«When a newly married Tamil couple returns from their procession through the streets, during which they are exposed to the looks of the crowd, a vessel is filled with camphor and pepper [Piper spp.], the camphor is lit, and the vessel with the burning camphor is swung around the heads of the newlyweds» — y el rito tamil que la misma voz describe: alcanfor y pimienta encendidos en una vasija que se hace girar sobre las cabezas de los recién casados tras la procesión.

«Coconut trees have been used culturally in India for three thousand to four thousand years. They first appear in European literature in the sixth century» — el marco de la monografía del cocotero: tres o cuatro mil años de uso cultural en la India y primera aparición en la literatura europea en el siglo VI.

«This wine, which is the juice of this tree, is called major by the inhabitants of Java, tuaco by those of the Malabars, and surii by the Dutch, and is tapped from the tree in the following manner» — el testimonio de George Meister de 1677 que el libro reproduce sobre el vino de palma, con los tres nombres de plaza que registra: major en Java, tuaco entre los malabares y surii entre los holandeses.

«This sura or juice, when drunk immediately while fresh, is delicious and good and sweet beyond measure, especially that which comes from those grown around Cannanor or in the Kingdom of Calicuth, on the coast of Cannera and Malabar, which tastes quite agreeable, almost as sweet as a newly pressed cider. But if you drink a little too much of this, you will very easily get drunk from it» — y el juicio de ese mismo testimonio: bebido fresco, el jugo es dulce como sidra recién prensada, y quien bebe un poco de más se emborracha con facilidad.

«The palm wine that is collected in the morning tastes like sweet cider until about 10 o’clock, however with the oily aftertaste of the coconut, it then begins to ferment and at around 12 o’clock foams over the edge of the bottle or bamboo vessel in which it is being kept in the open. In the evening, toward 3 o’clock, it is then an inebriating drink, a “fire water,” as the natives call it» — la curva de un día del vino de palma que Rätsch cita de Schröter: sidra dulce hasta las diez, fermentación y espuma a mediodía, y por la tarde una bebida embriagante que los nativos llaman agua de fuego.

«the palm grower wishes to hinder the fermentation, he takes some calcium from shells and mixes this into the palm juice» — y el modo de detener esa fermentación en el mismo testimonio: mezclar cal de conchas en el jugo; el tramo abre en la plana 495 continuando el de la 494.

«In India, coconuts are thrown into the sea as offerings to placate the spirits of the monsoon. In Gujarat, the palm is venerated as a familial deity» — los usos rituales indios del coco que Rätsch alinea: arrojado al mar como ofrenda para aplacar a los espíritus del monzón, y la palma venerada en Gujarat como deidad familiar.

«The Bengalis believe that coconuts have eyes and are able to see if someone is lying beneath the palm so they will not fall on that person» — la creencia bengalí que registra: los cocos tienen ojos y ven si alguien está tendido bajo la palma, para no caerle en la cabeza; el tramo se corta antes del apóstrofo.

«Because coconuts are as large as a person’s head, they are offered to the bloodthirsty goddess Bhadrakali (“auspicious black [goddess]”), a terrifying manifestation of Shiva’s wife Parvati, in place of real human sacrifices» — la sustitución sacrificial que Rätsch consigna: por ser del tamaño de una cabeza, los cocos se ofrecen a la diosa Bhadrakali en lugar de sacrificios humanos; el tramo se corta antes del apóstrofo.

«The Yoruba of Africa believe that at the beginning of creation, the coconut was a pure, loving, and virtuous person who was later transformed into the plant. For this reason, the palm is a sacred tree that is venerated and respected» — el mito yoruba que recoge: el coco fue al principio de la creación una persona pura, amorosa y virtuosa, transformada después en planta, y por eso la palma es árbol sagrado.

«Drinking palm wine is part of certain idolatrous ceremonies, but in private life the palm wine drinkers are despised and are not as common as the habitual drunkards are among us» — el testimonio de Schröter sobre el doble rasero del vino de palma: bebido en ciertas ceremonias idolátricas, y sus bebedores despreciados en la vida privada.

«The wooden beating sticks—called pudscha—that were used to stimulate juice production were regarded as idols and venerated accordingly» — el artefacto que Rätsch registra de Hartwich: los palos de golpear con que se estimulaba la producción de savia se tenían por ídolos y se veneraban como tales.

«In Indonesia, a flaccid or sick “Venus rider” would dangle his damaged member through a hole in a fresh coconut and bathe it in the coconut milk to provide it with new vigor or to cure the venereal disease he had acquired» — el remedio indonesio que Rätsch cita de Meister: el miembro dañado metido por un agujero en un coco fresco y bañado en su leche para recobrar vigor o curar la enfermedad venérea; el tramo se corta antes de las comillas de la fuente.

«These monstrous bats, although very rarely seen, often came and hung with their sharp claws on the coconut tree leaves, from which the sura or palm wine is tapped, and inebriate themselves on this to such an extent that they would often remain the entire night until the sun had risen in order to get enough sleep, and could thus be encountered, and I brought down such a one with a good flint rifle, and my slaves then made themselves very merry when they ate this, and I too consumed it out of curiosity, as they are not poisonous but rather taste like the best chicken meat» — la anécdota de George Meister que el libro cita en recuadro: los murciélagos gigantes que se emborrachan con el vino de palma que gotea de las hojas y se quedan dormidos hasta el amanecer.

«Because of its low alcohol content, the palm wine obtained from the bleeding sap—even when consumed in large quantities—has stimulating, almost refreshing and invigorating effects that do, however, tend toward drunkenness» — el efecto del vino de palma que Rätsch describe: por su poco alcohol es estimulante y hasta refrescante aun en cantidad, con tendencia sin embargo a la borrachera.

«Long before the first coffee was ever brewed, the berries of the coffee bush were being chewed in Africa for stimulating purposes (by about the sixth century» — el orden que Rätsch fija para el café: las bayas se mascaban en África como estimulante mucho antes de que se preparara la primera infusión.

«In Ethiopia, the story told to explain the discovery of coffee is almost identical to that told in Yemen to explain the discovery of khat. A goatherd watched as his goats scampered around excitedly after they had eaten from the coffee bush. He took some of the beans and gave them to the village priest, who then experimented with them until he experienced their stimulating power and was thus better able to recite the long prayers» — el mito de origen del café que Rätsch señala casi idéntico al del khat: el cabrero que ve retozar a sus cabras, las bayas dadas al sacerdote del pueblo y el poder estimulante que le permite recitar las oraciones largas.

«Coffee is highly esteemed among African Sufis, for it enables them to take part in their mystical rituals night after night without falling asleep and makes it easier for them to attain religious ecstasy» — el sitio del café entre los sufíes africanos según Rätsch: les permite participar noche tras noche en sus rituales místicos sin dormirse y les facilita el éxtasis religioso.

«The Sufis and the wandering dervishes played a great role in the spread and popularization of coffee» — y el papel que les adjudica en la difusión: sufíes y derviches errantes pesaron mucho en la expansión y popularización del café.

«Coffee was enthusiastically received in Europe, where it was praised as a cure-all and used as an aphrodisiac» — la acogida europea del café que Rätsch registra: entusiasta, con el café alabado como panacea y usado como afrodisíaco.

«Because of its economic significance, coffee has often led to violent altercations and warlike actions. In the 1920s and 1930s, a veritable “witches’ war” broke out in Puebla (Mexico), during which over one hundred Nahuat Indians lost their lives» — el conflicto que Rätsch trae de Knab: la guerra de brujas de Puebla en los años veinte y treinta, con más de cien indios nahuat muertos por el peso económico del café.

«Hot as hell, black as the devil, pure as an angel, sweet as love» — la receta de café que el libro atribuye en recuadro a Talleyrand.

«Oh! How sweet does coffee taste, more delightful than a thousand kisses, milder than muscatel wine, coffee, I must have coffee, and if anyone would wish to refresh me yes, then give me coffee» — los versos de la cantata del café de Johann Sebastian Bach que el libro reproduce, con el texto de Picander.

«I found out from a Sayha named Hâgga Fâyza that they both read the coffee grounds and then in a relaxed state allow two djinns to explain the meaning of the patterns and lines in the grounds and also use the dream oracle to receive information about their personal djinn servant» — el testimonio de Kornelius Hentschel que el libro cita en recuadro: leen los posos del café y dejan que dos yinn expliquen el sentido de las figuras, y usan además el oráculo del sueño.

«In the older literature, the coconut palm was often characterized» — la fórmula que Rätsch recoge de la literatura antigua sobre el cocotero, el más útil de todos los árboles; el tramo se corta en el límite de plana y la frase termina en la 493.

«In East Africa, it is believed that spirits live in the coffee beans and that the beans therefore possess magical powers a person can draw upon through rituals and incantations» — la creencia de África oriental que Rätsch consigna: en los granos de café viven espíritus, y por eso los granos tienen poderes mágicos que se aprovechan con ritos y conjuros.

«According to an Arab legend, the archangel Gabriel presented the first coffee to the ailing Muhammad for his recuperation (Brunngraber 1952, 128*). For this reason, coffee is sacred in Islam, and it is even used as a ceremonial drink» — la leyenda árabe que recoge y su consecuencia ritual: el arcángel Gabriel dio el primer café a Mahoma enfermo, y por eso el café es sagrado en el islam y se usa como bebida ceremonial.

«In Swahililand, copious amounts of coffee are drunk during all religious rites, at the evening readings of the Koran, and at the midnight worship services at the mosques (presumably so that people will not fall asleep during the sermons» — el uso suajili que registra, con su explicación práctica entre paréntesis: café en abundancia en todos los ritos religiosos, en las lecturas nocturnas del Corán y en los oficios de medianoche.

«The use of coffee to support prayers, meditations, and secret rituals was of great importance in many Sufi orders» — el sitio del café en el sufismo según Rätsch: de gran importancia en muchas órdenes para sostener oraciones, meditaciones y rituales secretos.

«The customs associated with drinking coffee in Viennese coffeehouses also have a ritual character, though the coffee drinkers themselves do not usually regard them as rituals» — la lectura que Rätsch hace de las costumbres del café vienés: tienen carácter ritual aunque los propios bebedores no las tengan por rituales.

«In some circles, the magical use of coffee has been preserved in the form of reading coffee grounds, a traditional folk oracular method» — y el resto mágico que señala: la lectura de los posos de café como método oracular popular tradicional.

«For many Westerners, the act of preparing coffee in the morning has become a small, personal ritual that helps them prepare for the day» — el ritual privado que Rätsch identifica: para muchos occidentales preparar el café de la mañana se ha vuelto un rito personal pequeño que dispone para el día.

«available before they have had their morning coffee, i.e., coffee opens a person to the world» — y la fórmula con que lo resume: el café abre a la persona al mundo; el tramo abre en la plana 507 continuando la frase de la 506.

«In the United States, paramedical circles have claimed that coffee enemas, administered every two hours, can heal cancer. This therapy is usually recommended to cancer patients by other cancer patients. This treatment is responsible for at least two deaths» — la terapia que Rätsch consigna con su saldo pegado: círculos paramédicos estadounidenses afirman que los enemas de café cada dos horas curan el cáncer, y ese tratamiento causó al menos dos muertes.

«In the seventeenth century, drinking coffee or tea was an enormously popular activity. Meetings, or lodges, clearly provided the ritual and collective space for a communal “inebriation” using stimulating beverages» — la lectura que Rätsch hace del pie de figura del grabado de 1690: las reuniones o logias daban el espacio ritual y colectivo para una embriaguez comunitaria con bebidas estimulantes.

«If we summarize the results of the rather comprehensive research into the acute effects of caffeine and the long-term effects of daily coffee, then coffee should be ranked among the most harmless of all drugs» — el juicio del científico de la nutrición que Rätsch cita: sumados los efectos agudos de la cafeína y los de largo plazo del café diario, el café debe contarse entre las drogas más inocuas.

«To the extent that they have still preserved their own natural and cultural qualities, cola fruits and cola trees occupy a high position in profane and religious ceremonies of the populace» — la voz de Rudolf Schröder que el libro cita en recuadro: los frutos y los árboles de cola ocupan un puesto alto en las ceremonias profanas y religiosas de la población.

«The thing with Mohammed is, of course, an unmitigated swindle, for the cola tree does not occur in Arabia or in East Africa, and the prophet was never in West Africa. . . . The Islamic missionaries played their part from an early date and surrounded the cola with mystical embellishments» — y la objeción que la misma voz hace a la leyenda del profeta bajo el árbol de cola: es un puro engaño, porque el árbol no crece en Arabia y Mahoma nunca estuvo en África occidental, y los misioneros islámicos adornaron la cola con ornamentos místicos.

«Indigenous to western Africa, the cola nut (Cola nitida, Cola acuminata) was originally reserved for the gods. During a visit to the earth, however, one of the gods left a piece behind and humans found it» — el mito de origen de la nuez de cola que Rätsch recoge: reservada a los dioses, uno de ellos dejó un trozo en la tierra y los hombres lo hallaron.

«Because of their stimulating powers, cola nuts were used for magic and as amulets and aphrodisiacs. Today, they still play a central role in the religious and social life of many West and Central African cultures» — y los usos que de ahí se siguen: magia, amuletos y afrodisíacos, con un papel todavía central en la vida religiosa y social de muchas culturas africanas.

«The original Coca-Cola was a potent psycho-tropic beverage made with an extract of cola nuts and Coca leaves (Erythroxylum novogranatense» — el dato que Rätsch destaca sobre el refresco: la Coca-Cola original era una bebida psicotrópica potente hecha con extracto de nuez de cola y hoja de coca.

«Cola is now also planted in the region of Bahia (Brazil) for use in the Afro-Brazilian Candomblé cult» — el uso religioso americano que registra: la cola plantada hoy en Bahía para el culto afrobrasileño del Candomblé.

«Freshly harvested cola nuts are sometimes placed in a termite mound. The termites then eat the seed hull cleanly away but do not touch the cola nuts» — la técnica de limpieza que Rätsch describe de Schröder: nueces de cola frescas puestas en un termitero, donde las termitas se comen la cubierta y no tocan la nuez.

«In West Africa and the Sahel zone, all of life is heavily shaped by the cola nut (Uchendu 1964), which represents the most important socio-integrative element» — el sitio que Rätsch da a la nuez de cola en África occidental y el Sahel: da forma a la vida entera y es el elemento socialmente integrador más importante.

«Cola nuts are offered to every guest as a gesture of respect and deference, they are presented to a lover as a token of one’s feelings, they are exchanged at the end of business negotiations to seal the contract, and they are offered to the ancestors, orishas, spirits, and gods» — y el inventario de sus usos: ofrecidas al huésped por deferencia, dadas al amante como prenda, intercambiadas para sellar un contrato y ofrendadas a los antepasados, los orishas, los espíritus y los dioses.

«In the royal courts (e.g., in northern Ghana), all political meetings and discussions begin with a communal chewing of cola» — el uso político que registra: en las cortes reales toda reunión y discusión empieza con una masticación comunitaria de cola.

«The nuts are placed at forks in the road as protective amulets, they are given to lepers and beggars as gifts, they are handed to physicians and healers as a welcoming greeting, and they are given to soothsayers as payment for divinations» — y los usos restantes: amuletos protectores en las encrucijadas, regalo a leprosos y mendigos, saludo a médicos y sanadores, y pago a los adivinos.

«The social meetings at which cola nuts are ceremonially distributed and communally consumed are strongly reminiscent of the manners in which Catha edulis is used in Yemen, Erythroxylum coca and Erythroxylum novogranatense in South America, Ilex cassine and Ilex vomitoria in southeastern North America, Ilex paraguariensis in southern South America, Piper methysticum in Oceania, Camellia sinensis in Japan, Cannabis sativa in Morocco, and betel in Southeast Asia» — el paralelo que Rätsch traza entre las reuniones de cola y las de khat en Yemen, coca en Sudamérica, ilex en Norteamérica, kava en Oceanía, té en Japón, cáñamo en Marruecos y betel en el sureste asiático.

«In the Afro-American Santería cult (cf. madzoka medicine), a sacred liquid known as omiero is drunk at the initiation of a new cult member (santero). Omiero should consist of 101 herbs, representing all of the orishas» — el omiero de la santería que Rätsch describe: líquido sagrado bebido en la iniciación del santero, que debería constar de ciento un hierbas en representación de todos los orishas.

«Unfortunately, the botanical identity of the twenty-one orisha herbs is not fully known. They do include Solanum nigrum (cf. Solanum spp., witches’ ointments), lettuce (Lactuca virosa), cinnamon, and fern (see Polypodium spp.), all of which could contribute to the drink» — el hueco que Rätsch declara en ese dato y lo que sí identifica: no se conoce del todo la identidad botánica de las veintiuna hierbas, y entre ellas hay solano negro, lechuga, canela y helecho; el tramo se corta antes del apóstrofo.

«The cola nuts themselves represent artifacts, as they were used as currency in Africa for a time» — el artefacto que Rätsch señala: las propias nueces de cola, que en África sirvieron un tiempo de moneda.

«Without the cola nut, for which, if circumstances called for it, the riding horse or the bed slave would be given up, there would be no courtship, no marriage contract, no dowry, no oath, no symbolic expression of friendship or enmity, and no provisions for the dead on their journey» — la voz que el libro cita en recuadro sobre el peso social de la cola: sin ella no habría cortejo, contrato de matrimonio, dote, juramento, expresión de amistad o enemistad ni provisión para el viaje de los muertos.

«When it gets dark, the processions meet in a great square in front of a mosque. In the light of the torches or light bulbs, wrapped in the scent of ubani (incense [cf. Boswellia sacra]), all of the praying people listen attentively deep into the night as the life story of Mohammed is recited in prose or poetry. As this is going on, spiced coffee is passed out and drunk by all who are present» — la descripción del Maulidi al Nabi que el libro cita: la historia del profeta recitada hasta entrada la noche entre olor de incienso, con café especiado repartido a todos los presentes.

«Yet because it is almost impossible to» — la reducción práctica del omiero que Rätsch registra: las hierbas de orisha quedaron en veintiuna porque es casi imposible reunir las ciento una; el tramo se corta en el límite de plana y la frase termina en la 520.

«tried to swallow the divinely tasting morsel. The creator, however, stopped him from doing so with a quick grab of his neck, and since that time, men bear this knotty deformation on their» — el final de la leyenda de la nuez de cola que el libro cita: el creador agarra por el cuello al hombre que iba a tragarse el bocado divino, y de ahí la nuez de Adán en la garganta de los varones; el tramo abre en la plana 522 continuando el de la 521.

«The effects of freshly chewed nuts are more pronounced, as the caffeine-cathecine complex they contain is broken down more rapidly. Since this complex decays as the seeds dry, the alkaloids are not as easily removed from the tissue and hence are more slowly absorbed» — la diferencia farmacológica que Rätsch explica para la cola: la nuez fresca obra más porque el complejo de cafeína y catequina se descompone antes, y al secarse el alcaloide se absorbe más despacio.

«Coleus is used primarily as an ornamental. Very little is known about its ethnobotany. Its psycho-active use among the Mexican Mazatecs was discovered in 1962 in connection with Gordon Wasson’s early research into Salvia divinorum (Ott 1993, 381*) and has been only rudimentarily investigated» — el marco de la monografía del coleo: planta sobre todo ornamental, de etnobotánica casi desconocida, cuyo uso psicoactivo mazateco se descubrió en 1962 al hilo de la investigación de Wasson sobre la *Salvia divinorum*.

«The Mazatecs include coleus in the same “family” as Salvia divinorum, whereby Salvia is the “female” and coleus the» — la clasificación mazateca que Rätsch recoge: el coleo y la *Salvia divinorum* en la misma familia, ella la hembra y él el macho; el tramo se corta antes de las comillas de la fuente.

«They also make an additional distinction: Coleus pumilis Blanco [syn. Coleus rehneltianus Berger] is el macho,“the male,” while the two forms of Coleus blumei are el nene, “the child,” and el ahijado, “the godson» — y el reparto de parentescos que sigue: una especie es el macho y las dos formas del coleo son el nene y el ahijado.

«manner as those of Salvia divinorum, that is, they are chewed as quids. Mazatec soothsayers apparently use coleus only as a substitute for Salvia divinorum» — el uso ritual del coleo que Rätsch consigna con su límite dentro: las hojas frescas se mascan como las de la *Salvia divinorum*, y los adivinos mazatecos al parecer solo lo usan como sustituto; el tramo abre en la plana 527 continuando la frase de la 526.

«Having magico-religious significance, Coleus is used as a divinatory plant. The leaves are chewed fresh or the plants are ground, then diluted with water for drinking» — la voz de Schultes y Hofmann que el libro cita en recuadro: el coleo con significación mágico-religiosa y usado como planta adivinatoria, con las hojas mascadas frescas o molidas y diluidas para beber.

«Coleus was recently found to contain salvinorin-like substances (cf. salvinorin A) of an as yet undetermined chemical structure (cf. diterpenes). It is possible that these diterpenes are chemically modified by drying or burning and transformed into efficacious substances» — el hallazgo químico que Rätsch registra con su conjetura pegada: sustancias parecidas a la salvinorina, de estructura aún indeterminada, que quizá se transformen al secar o al quemar.

«However, additional chemical and pharmaceutical research is needed to clarify this situation» — y la deuda de investigación que declara: hace falta más trabajo químico y farmacéutico para aclararlo.

«Some 30% of subjects who smoked dried Mexican Coleus blumei leaves reported effects similar to those produced by smoking a small dosage of Salvia divinorum (increase in pulse rate, sensations of bodily heaviness, rolling sensations, lights dancing before the eyes» — el dato de efecto que Rätsch da para el coleo fumado: el treinta por ciento de los sujetos reportó efectos parecidos a los de una dosis pequeña de *Salvia divinorum*.

«It may be that a particular bodily chemistry is required to react to the plant. It is also possible that the effects are perceived only after repeated attempts (as is the case with Cannabis and Salvia divinorum» — y las dos explicaciones que ofrece para el otro setenta por ciento: que haga falta una química corporal particular, o que el efecto solo se perciba tras intentos repetidos.

«Coleus can be found in every specialized book on inebriating drugs. . . . I myself, as well as a larger number of people that I know, [have] undertaken experiments with this plant, some of them using very large amounts of leaves. In no case was there any type of effect. . . . A communication from the ethnopharmacologist Daniel J. Seibert suggests the same. He was in the area of the Mazatecs, and wrote me that only one single Indian there maintained that coleus is psychoactive. All of the other Indians denied this» — la objeción de Schuldes que el libro cita: sus experimentos y los de muchos conocidos no dieron efecto alguno, y en tierra mazateca solo un indio sostuvo que el coleo es psicoactivo mientras los demás lo negaron.

«Dioscorides may have known this vine by the name helxine; he states that “the juice of the leaves has, when drunk, power to loosen the stomach» — la identificación en condicional con que Rätsch abre la monografía de la campanilla tricolor: quizá el helxine de Dioscórides, cuyo zumo de hojas afloja el estómago.

«A traditional use of Convolvulus tricolor as a psychoactive substance is as yet unknown, although such a use is entirely possible» — la negativa con que Rätsch abre el uso ritual de esta campanilla, seguida de su condicional: no se conoce uso tradicional psicoactivo, y tal uso es enteramente posible.

«In the Central African Republic, a macerate of the branch bark [of Corynanthe pachyceras] is drunk in palm wine as an aphrodisiac and as an agent for staying awake» — la voz de Hans Dieter Neuwinger que el libro cita en recuadro: en la República Centroafricana el macerado de corteza se bebe en vino de palma como afrodisíaco y para no dormir.

«In the pharmaceutical trade, the bark is often used as a counterfeit or substitute for the true yohimbé bark» — la falsificación comercial que Rätsch denuncia: la corteza de *Corynanthe* usada a menudo como sustituto o falsificación de la verdadera corteza de yohimbe.

«The bark of Corynanthe pachyceras is used in the Ivory Coast to manufacture arrow poisons (Neuwinger 1994, 701*; 1997, 780*). In the former French Equatorial Africa, the bark is used to fortify fermented beverages» — los dos usos africanos que Rätsch registra para esa corteza: veneno de flecha en Costa de Marfil y refuerzo de las bebidas fermentadas en el antiguo África Ecuatorial Francesa.

«In animal experiments, it decreased the toxicity of amphetamine» — y el dato experimental que destaca con admiración: el extracto de corteza redujo en animales la toxicidad de la anfetamina.

«Some “closet shamans” believe that the seeds of this vine may have been an ingredient in kykeon, the initiatory drink of the Eleusinian mysteries» — la conjetura que Rätsch atribuye a los *closet shamans*: que la semilla de esta campanilla fuera ingrediente del kykeon, la bebida iniciática de los misterios de Eleusis.

«the coast land of the PR of the Congo (Mayombe) and in Gabon, the healers do not distinguish the bark from Pausinystalia bark (= the source of yohimbine); they also use it as an aphrodisiac and agent for staying awake» — la confusión de cortezas que Neuwinger registra: los sanadores del Congo y de Gabón no distinguen esta corteza de la del yohimbe y la usan igual, como afrodisíaco y para no dormir.

«Presumably the only ritual or shamanic use of Coryphantha species is (for some of them) as peyote substitutes» — la acotación con que Rätsch cierra el uso ritual de las *Coryphantha*: probablemente el único es el de sustituto del peyote.

«Coryphantha compacta is “taken by shamans as a potent medicine and greatly feared and respected by the Indians» — el efecto que Rätsch cita de Schultes y Hofmann para *Coryphantha compacta*: los chamanes la toman por medicina potente y los indios la temen y respetan mucho.

«The goddess sits at the top of the round cactus, our mother, butterfly of obsidian. Look, there in the springlike fields, nourished by the hearts of deer, is our mother, queen of the earth» — la oración azteca que el libro coloca junto a la monografía de los cactos redondos: la diosa sentada en lo alto del cacto, madre, mariposa de obsidiana y reina de la tierra alimentada por corazones de venado.

«The saffron crocus is one of the very oldest of all cultivated plants. A wild form is no longer known» — el marco de la monografía del azafrán: una de las plantas cultivadas más antiguas, de la que ya no se conoce forma silvestre.

«Saffron was first mentioned in conjunction with the name of a city on the Euphrates: Azupirano, “Saffron City” (ca. 2300 B.C.E.). The plant was already being cultivated on Crete and Thera (Santorini) during the Minoan period» — y la datación que Rätsch da: la primera mención en el nombre de una ciudad del Éufrates llamada Ciudad del Azafrán, y el cultivo minoico en Creta y Tera.

«Because of the plant’s color, the Greek scholar Carl Ruck believes that in Archaic Greece the saffron crocus was used entheogenically as a substitute for fly agaric (Amanita muscaria), which was originally venerated as sacred and eaten ritually» — la tesis de Carl Ruck que Rätsch consigna: por el color, el azafrán se habría usado enteogénicamente en la Grecia arcaica como sustituto de la amanita, venerada antes como sagrada; el tramo se corta antes del apóstrofo.

«In the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, saffron was used as an inebriant—certainly, a very expensive one—whose effects were said to be like those of opium» — el uso moderno que Rätsch data: azafrán como embriagante en los siglos XVIII y XIX, caro por cierto, con efectos que se decían como los del opio.

«Although it is known that saffron has psychoactive properties, this aspect of the plant has been only little studied. The reason is the still very high price that true saffron commands (in comparison, cocaine is a veritable» — y la razón que da para el hueco de investigación: se sabe que el azafrán es psicoactivo y casi no se ha estudiado por su precio, frente al cual la cocaína resulta barata; el tramo se corta antes de las comillas de la fuente.

«The roots of the ritual use of saffron, which was regarded as sacred, lie in Minoan Crete and Thera, and most likely in the entire range of the Minoan culture» — el origen que Rätsch da al uso ritual del azafrán, tenido por sagrado: la Creta y la Tera minoicas, y probablemente toda el área de esa cultura.

«The saffron crocus was apparently associated with the priestly veneration of the Minoan goddess, with the worship of nature, and with fertility. Wall paintings from Thera make it clear that priestesses carried out the saffron harvest» — y lo que los frescos le permiten afirmar: el azafrán asociado al culto sacerdotal de la diosa minoica, a la veneración de la naturaleza y a la fertilidad, con sacerdotisas encargadas de la cosecha.

«It is possible that saffron was also involved in the ritual embalming and preparation of the dead in Egypt» — la conjetura egipcia que deja abierta: cabe que el azafrán entrara también en el embalsamamiento ritual y la preparación de los muertos.

«To the Aither —a smoking offering of saffron— You high-reaching house of Zeus, Indestructible in eternal power, Bearer of the stars, the sun, the moon, Vanquisher of all, fire-breathing, substance which ignites all life! Far-illuminating ether, most noble primeval substance of the universe, magnificent first seed, bearer of light, flaming from the fire of the stars— To you sounds my pleading call: Oh show your cheerful visage» — el himno órfico al Éter que el libro reproduce, con la indicación de ofrenda de azafrán quemado: casa de Zeus que porta las estrellas, sustancia que enciende toda vida y simiente primera portadora de luz.

«Saffron was sacred to the goddess Hecate, for Orphic hymns invoked the ruler of the shadows as the “sea goddess in saffron robes» — la adscripción divina que Rätsch da al azafrán: sagrado para Hécate, invocada en los himnos órficos como la señora de las sombras de manto azafranado.

«In the Orphic mysteries, part of the cult of Dionysos (cf. Vitis vinifera), saffron was a ritual incense that was burned during the recitation or singing of hymns» — y su uso en los misterios órficos: incienso ritual quemado mientras se recitaban o cantaban los himnos.

«To date, we know of no traditional or ritual use of saffron as a psychoactive substance» — la negativa con que cierra ese apartado: no se conoce uso tradicional ni ritual del azafrán como sustancia psicoactiva.

«Emperor Marcus Aurelius bathed in saffron water, because it beautified the skin and supposedly also increased male potency. The celebration halls were adorned with crocuses as an auspicious sign for the orgy that the carousal would hopefully turn into, and crocus flowers were placed in the hair» — la voz de Anthony Mercatante que el libro cita en recuadro: el emperador Marco Aurelio bañándose en agua de azafrán, y los salones adornados con crocos como signo propicio para la orgía.

«Saffron, which is often used in the home kitchen to color food dishes, takes the place of opium for children. It is frequently used as an analgesic and antispasmodic, as an agent to promote menstruation and uterine spasms, and externally for inflammations of the glands (breasts), panaritis, hemorrhoidal knots, some eye ailments, and facial pain. In high dosages, it induces abortion» — la entrada del Hagers Handbuch que el libro reproduce: el azafrán ocupa en los niños el lugar del opio, se usa como analgésico y antiespasmódico, y en dosis altas induce el aborto.

«Saffron is one of the oldest and most used medicines of the Hippocratics. It was said to be an effective antidote for drunkenness (see Vitis vinifera) and to increase male potency» — el sitio del azafrán en la medicina hipocrática: una de las más antiguas y usadas, tenida por antídoto eficaz de la borrachera y por aumentadora de la potencia masculina.

«According to Pliny, saffron was a panacea and an aphrodisiac: “It induces sleep, has a gentle effect upon the head, and whets the sex drive» — y la fórmula de Plinio que Rätsch cita: induce el sueño, obra suavemente sobre la cabeza y aguza el deseo.

«During the Renaissance, it was said that smelling a crocus in bloom “expands the heart and the tools of the mind and stimulates to coitus» — y el dicho renacentista que recoge: oler un croco en flor expande el corazón y los instrumentos de la mente y estimula al coito.

«It is an excellent agent for the blood and for strengthening the soul. It assuages joint pains and strengthens the sex drive in young men» — la fórmula de la medicina mística del islam que el libro cita sobre el azafrán: excelente para la sangre y para fortalecer el alma.

«Among the ailments that are generally treated with saffron are depression, constricted feelings in the chest, fear, shock, confusion (mental and emotional disturbances), coughing blood, period pains and other menstrual complaints, blood congestion [accumulation of blood in the capillaries], and abdominal pains following childbirth. Long-term use of saffron can free one from depressions and feelings of anxiety and produce sensations of happiness» — el uso psicoactivo que Rätsch destaca de la medicina tradicional china citando a Leung: depresión, opresión en el pecho, miedo, confusión, y el uso prolongado que libra de la depresión y la ansiedad.

«The psychoactive effects of saffron have been occasionally described as “spasms of laughter” and “delirium” (Vonarburg 1995, 76); “in its effects, saffron comes close to opium [cf. Papaver somniferum]; in low dosages, it excites, cheers, and produces laughter . . . , in contrast, in high dosages it sedates, promotes sleep, sopor» — la descripción del efecto del azafrán que Rätsch reúne: espasmos de risa y delirio, y la fórmula de Most, que lo acerca al opio, excitante en dosis baja y sedante en dosis alta.

«Actual reports of direct experiences with the drug are not available, presumably because of its high cost» — y el hueco que declara con su razón económica dentro: no hay reportes de experiencia directa con la droga, y él lo atribuye al precio.

«Saffron is very often counterfeited for sale. Red or yellow pieces of marigold (Calendula officinalis L.) flowers or dyer’s saffron (= safflower; Carthamus tinctorius L.) are often sold as saffron (even in such producer countries as Greece and Spain» — la falsificación que Rätsch denuncia: pétalos de caléndula o de cártamo vendidos como azafrán, incluso en países productores.

«In some places, time really does appear to have stood still, which makes it much easier for a researcher with access to a time machine (in other words, an ability to imagine and a nonjudgmental surrender to clearly perceivable ‘power fields’) to journey into the past. In the Canary Islands, the spirit of Tara, the power of the Great Goddess and her female and male servants, can be felt everywhere, and the magic cap the Goddess uses to hide herself from the excesses of the modern, hectic world exhibits countless gaps. The secrets of the islands begin directly behind the loud tourist beaches» — la voz de Harald Braem que el libro cita en recuadro: en Canarias se siente por todas partes el espíritu de Tara, el poder de la Gran Diosa, y los secretos de las islas empiezan justo detrás de las playas turísticas.

«It may have been a ritual plant of the Guancha, the indigenous people of the islands who, in the fifteenth century, still possessed a Stone Age culture and venerated the Great Goddess (Tara) in painted ritual caves» — la conjetura que Rätsch deja abierta sobre la retama de Canarias: quizá planta ritual de los guanches, que en el siglo XV tenían todavía cultura de piedra y veneraban a la Gran Diosa en cuevas rituales pintadas.

«It was likely introduced into the New World at an early date, for many ships that were bound for New Spain stopped at the Canary Islands and, when they left, carried the islands’ native plants with them. Knowledge of the use of broom as an inebriant may have traveled along as well» — la vía de difusión que Rätsch conjetura para la retama de Canarias: los barcos con rumbo a Nueva España hacían escala en las islas y se llevaban sus plantas, y quizá también el saber de su uso embriagante.

«Yaqui shamans from northern Mexico use Canary Island broom for ritual purposes (Fadiman 1965). In the United States, the flowers are smoked as a tobacco substitute» — los dos usos modernos que Rätsch registra de Fadiman: los chamanes yaqui la usan con fines rituales y en los Estados Unidos se fuman sus flores como sustituto del tabaco.

«The flowers of the Canary Island broom are dried over a low flame, then brewed with water, filtered, and drunk. After ingesting this liquid, a person is transported into a state of total euphoria, which includes more intense sensations of sexual arousal along with more intense perception, and a great deal of calm and quiet» — la bebida afrodisíaca que Rätsch cita de Stark: flores secadas a fuego bajo y bebidas en infusión, que llevan a una euforia total con excitación sexual y percepción más intensa.

«A Yaqui shaman discovered the psychoactive use of this plant. After ingesting another psychoactive plant (most likely peyote; see Lophophora williamsii), he was shown in a vision that the flowers of the Canary Island broom should be smoked» — el origen que Rätsch da al uso psicoactivo de la retama de Canarias: un chamán yaqui lo descubrió cuando, bajo otra planta psicoactiva, una visión le mostró que había que fumar sus flores.

«Although there have been reports of sharpened perception and greater intensity of colors, hallucinations have not been observed» — el límite que Rätsch pone al efecto de esa retama: hay reportes de percepción agudizada y colores más intensos, y no se han observado alucinaciones.

«Whoever has become ill as a result of enchantment with formulae, he must urinate down through an upside-down broom made of broom, and then he will become healthy» — la creencia mágica que el libro cita de Gessmann: quien enfermó por encantamiento con fórmulas ha de orinar por una escoba de retama puesta del revés para sanar.

«The use of Scotch broom for inebriating purposes is allegedly based upon the observation that sheep behave in an excited and peculiar manner after eating the plant» — el origen que se atribuye al uso embriagante de la retama negra: la observación de que las ovejas se comportan excitadas y de modo peculiar tras comerla.

«For several years, dried Scotch broom flowers have been regarded as a “legal high” and used in smoking blends. Users have repeatedly reported mild euphoric effects and distinct synergistic effects when the flowers are mixed with other substances, especially Cannabis sativa» — el uso contemporáneo que registra: flores secas de retama tenidas por *legal high*, con efectos eufóricos leves y sinergia marcada al mezclarse con cáñamo.

«Witches are said to have made their flying brooms from Cytisus (Ludwig 1982, 143*). Perhaps this use, and its association with witches’ flight, is what led to the plant» — y la hipótesis que Rätsch propone: las brujas habrían hecho de retama sus escobas voladoras, y quizá de ahí venga el uso psicoactivo de la planta; el tramo se corta antes del apóstrofo.

«They joined together the flowers of oak, broom, and meadow queen and, with the help of their magic, created the most beautiful and perfect maiden in the world» — el pasaje del Mabinogion galés que el libro cita en recuadro: con flores de roble, retama y reina de los prados y con su magia crearon a la doncella más hermosa del mundo.

«Some alkaloids of Genista species exhibit hallucinogenic effects» — lo que Rätsch cita de Roth sobre el género *Genista*: algunos de sus alcaloides muestran efectos alucinógenos; el tramo se corta antes de las comillas de la fuente.

«No information is available that would suggest that these plants were used traditionally for psychoactive purposes» — y la negativa que le pone al lado: no hay dato que sugiera uso tradicional de esas plantas con fines psicoactivos.

«The drug evidently has weak hallucinogenic properties: One artist repeatedly drank decoctions of Spanish broom flowers as a “cardio-tonic,” as he believed that he was using Cytisi scoparii flos. He reported that afterward he experienced very intense dreams, during which he had seen very colorful images. . . . After ingesting a tea infusion of seeds and branch tips (dosage unknown), a woman is said to have experienced vomiting, disturbances of vision, and feelings of drunkenness» — el testimonio que Rätsch cita de Wink para la retama de España: un artista que la bebía por cardiotónico reportó sueños intensísimos con imágenes muy coloridas, y una mujer vómitos, alteración de la visión y sensación de borrachera.

«In southern Peru, the flowers are ground and added to chicha, (brewed from maize) in order to make it “more inebriating» — el uso peruano de la retama que Rätsch registra: flores molidas y añadidas a la chicha para hacerla más embriagante.

«Herbs on the fire: Broom, nightshades, thorn apple.—How that crackles and fumes. The old man extinguishes the lantern, bends over the pan, and inhales the toxic smoke; he can barely remain standing, it sedates him so. And the terrible buzzing in the ears» — el pasaje de Gustav Meyrink que el libro cita en recuadro: retama, solanáceas y toloache en la sartén, y el viejo que inhala el humo tóxico y apenas puede tenerse en pie.

«The history of this potently hallucinogenic species of Datura is shrouded in mystery. Although this genus is ethnopharmacologically highly interesting and has been the object of a great deal of research over the last century, many questions still remain» — la declaración de límite con que Rätsch abre la monografía de la datura sagrada: su historia está envuelta en misterio y, pese a un siglo de investigación, quedan muchas preguntas.

«In the American Southwest, however, it has become customary to refer to Datura discolor as sacred datura or holy datura of the Zuni and to Datura innoxia as toloache or devil» — y la convención de nombres que registra para deshacer la confusión taxonómica: en el suroeste estadounidense *Datura discolor* es la datura sagrada y *Datura innoxia* el toloache; el tramo se corta antes del apóstrofo.

«According to the mythology of the Serí Indians, Datura discolor was one of the first plants of creation; as a result, humans should avoid contact with the plant» — el mito seri que Rätsch consigna con su prescripción dentro: la datura fue una de las primeras plantas de la creación, y por eso los hombres han de evitar el contacto con ella.

«Because inappropriate use can be very dangerous, the plant is used only by shamans» — y la consecuencia práctica de esa prescripción: por lo peligroso del uso inapropiado, solo los chamanes la usan.

«He who consumes the thorn apple drink believes that he is consorting with spirits and demons» — la frase de Ernst Freiherr von Bibra que el libro cita en recuadro sobre la bebida de toloache: quien la toma cree tratar con espíritus y demonios.

«Toloache is the most ethnopharmacologically significant of all thorn apple species in the New World. Archaeological studies of ritual rooms dating to 1200 to 1250 C.E. have demonstrated that the prehistoric Pueblo Indians of the Southwest used the seeds for ritual purposes» — el sitio que Rätsch da al toloache: la más significativa etnofarmacológicamente de las daturas del Nuevo Mundo, con uso ritual de la semilla probado arqueológicamente entre los pueblo prehistóricos.

«Our present state of knowledge does not allow us to say with certainty how long this thorn apple has been used in Mexico, although such use certainly has its roots in the prehistoric period. Today, many Mexican Indians still frequently use Datura innoxia for ritual and medicinal as well as aphrodisiac purposes» — y la abstención con su afirmación pegada: no se puede decir con certeza cuánto lleva usándose en México, aunque la raíz sea prehistórica, y hoy muchos indios la usan ritual, medicinal y afrodisíacamente.

«Shamans of the Yucatec Maya (hmenó’ob, “the doers”) use the leaves of Datura innoxia and tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum, Nicotiana undulata; cf. Nicotiana spp.) to roll cigars known as chamal. They typically use one leaf of each plant per cigar» — la preparación maya que Rätsch describe: los chamanes yucatecos lían con una hoja de toloache y una de tabaco el puro llamado chamal; el tramo se corta antes del apóstrofo.

«The Yaqui Indians make an ointment by adding crushed seeds and leaves to lard; they rub this onto their abdomens to induce visions» — el ungüento yaqui que registra: semillas y hojas machacadas en manteca, untadas en el vientre para inducir visiones.

«Because alkaloid concentrations can vary considerably (see “Constituents”), and because individuals react quite differently to tropane alkaloids, detailed information about dosages is rarely provided» — la razón que Rätsch da para la vaguedad de las dosis de toloache: la concentración de alcaloides varía mucho y las personas reaccionan de modo muy distinto a los alcaloides tropánicos.

«Toloa. It is also a fever medicine. It is drunk in a weak infusion. And where gout is, it is applied to it, one is rubbed with it there. It soothes, dispels, wards off [pain]. It is not inhaled and it is not» — el pasaje de los textos médicos aztecas que Rätsch reproduce sobre el toloache: medicina de la fiebre bebida en infusión débil y frotada donde hay gota, que calma y aparta el dolor.

«The written sources do not contain any clear indications that the plant was used as an inebriant. Since ritual and magical use occurs throughout modern Mexico, it can be assumed that the potent inebriating powers of Datura innoxia were also being utilized in pre-Hispanic times» — el razonamiento con que Rätsch suple el silencio de las fuentes: no hay indicio escrito claro del uso embriagante, y como el uso ritual y mágico sigue vivo en México puede suponerse que ya se usaba antes de la conquista.

«It has even been suggested that victims destined for human sacrifice were given a Datura drink to prepare them for their death» — la conjetura que consigna en voz pasiva: que a las víctimas destinadas al sacrificio humano se les diera una bebida de datura para prepararlas.

«When divining with a quartz crystal (ilmah sastun), they either smoke cigars (chamal) rolled from datura leaves or eat datura seeds» — la técnica adivinatoria maya que Rätsch describe: para ver en el cristal de cuarzo, los chamanes fuman puros de hoja de toloache o comen sus semillas.

«They say of the cigars and the seeds hach mà’lo’ ta wòl, “they are very good for your consciousness» — y la fórmula maya que recoge sobre esos puros y semillas: son muy buenos para la consciencia.

«In the resulting inebriated state, the shaman is able to see things in the crystal that can provide insights into questions posed beforehand (e.g., pertaining to stolen or lost objects, the causes of illness, sorcery» — y lo que el chamán obtiene en ese estado: ver en el cristal cosas que responden a lo preguntado de antemano, sobre lo robado o perdido, las causas de la enfermedad y la hechicería.

«Eating the seeds enables the h-mèn to travel to yuntsil balam,“the jaguar lord,” when a sick person has lost his ah-kanul, “protector spirits» — el viaje que las semillas permiten al chamán maya: llegar hasta el señor jaguar cuando un enfermo ha perdido sus espíritus protectores.

«In urban brujería,114 toloache plays an important role in the preparation of magic powders (verdadero polvo de toloache), in the manufacture of aphrodisiac ointments and bath additives, and in love magic» — los tres usos urbanos que Rätsch registra para el toloache: polvos mágicos, ungüentos y aditivos de baño afrodisíacos, y magia amorosa.

«In some parts of central Mexico, Datura innoxia is venerated in churches as a quasi-Catholic healer known as Santo Toloache, who is called upon to effect love magic» — y el culto que consigna: en partes del centro de México la planta se venera en las iglesias como un sanador cuasicatólico llamado Santo Toloache, invocado para la magia amorosa.

«According to many Mexican shamans, toloache is especially dangerous because it gives its users power» — la razón del peligro que Rätsch atribuye a los chamanes mexicanos: el toloache es especialmente peligroso porque da poder a quien lo usa.

«The Huichol regard it as a “bad plant of the gods” and usually associate it with sorcery» — y el juicio huichol que registra: lo tienen por mala planta de los dioses y lo asocian de ordinario con la hechicería.

«The second portion of the devil’s weed is used to fly. . . . The unguent by itself is not enough. My benefactor said that it is the root that gives direction and wisdom, and it is the cause of flying. As you learn more, and take it often in order to fly, you will begin to see everything with great clarity. You can soar through the air for hundreds of miles to see what is happening at any place you want, or to deliver a fatal blow to your enemies far away. As you become familiar with the devil’s weed, she will teach you how to do such things» — el pasaje de Carlos Castaneda que el libro reproduce, con don Juan explicando que es la raíz la que da dirección y sabiduría y la que causa el vuelo, y que la yerba del diablo enseña esas cosas a quien se familiariza con ella.

«The Navajo collect the thorn apple, which is ritually addressed as “little white hair,” according to a specific ritual. They begin by sprinkling maize pollen over the plant and uttering the following prayer: “Little white hair, forgive me for taking you. I do not do this out of arrogance. I would like you to heal me. I will take only as much as I need» — el protocolo navajo de cosecha que Rätsch describe: polen de maíz espolvoreado sobre la planta y una oración que le pide perdón por tomarla y solo pide lo necesario.

«In many Navajo healing ceremonies, visions and dreams play a central role. The medicine men or shamans learn from the visions and attain powers they can then use for healing» — el sitio de la visión en la curación navajo según Rätsch: visiones y sueños en el centro, de los que el hombre-medicina aprende y saca poderes para curar.

«The Navajo ingest small portions of Datura to protect themselves from the attacks of witches» — el uso protector navajo que registra: porciones pequeñas de datura contra los ataques de las brujas.

«Ajilee is the name of a myth, a magical song, and a ritual in which the performer is transformed into a Datura spirit and is able to gain power over the women he desires as well as the game he wishes to hunt» — el ritual navajo ajilee que Rätsch describe: mito, canto mágico y rito en que el oficiante se transforma en espíritu de la datura y gana poder sobre las mujeres que desea y sobre la caza.

«Ajilee is not one of the main healing rituals, and some Navajo (especially those who have been Christianized) regard it as witchcraft» — y el sitio que ese rito tiene dentro de la propia tradición, consignado sin armonizar: no es de los rituales de curación principales, y algunos navajos, sobre todo cristianizados, lo tienen por brujería.

«The ritual is also used to heal people who are suffering from sexual excesses as well as women who have been forced to prostitute themselves» — el otro fin del mismo rito, que Rätsch consigna junto al anterior: curar a quienes sufren por excesos sexuales y a las mujeres forzadas a prostituirse.

«It is said that a few medicine men who perform Datura divinations, also known as criminal telepathy, live in the region to the east of the Lukachukai Mountains. They use the plant to detect thieves and locate lost objects» — el uso que Rätsch llama telepatía criminal: hombres-medicina que adivinan con datura para detectar ladrones y localizar objetos perdidos.

«The Luiseño give their youths juice from the roots during their initiations» — el uso iniciático que registra: los luiseño dan a sus jóvenes jugo de la raíz durante la iniciación.

«The Zuni use a head ornament in various ritual dances that is intended to recall the headpiece of A’neglakya, the personification of Datura innoxia. They wrap a dried fruit of Martynia louisiana Mill. with colored woolen ribbons and tie it to a leather headband» — el ornamento zuñi que Rätsch describe: un tocado que recuerda el de A'neglakya, personificación de la datura, hecho con un fruto seco envuelto en cintas de lana de colores.

«The Zuni themselves approved of this error, as it helped keep their sacred Datura secret» — y el hallazgo que a Rätsch le interesa: los zuñi aprobaron el error de los antropólogos que leyeron ese tocado como flor de calabaza, porque ayudaba a mantener secreta su datura sagrada.

«Navajo jewelry features a type of chain that is known both publicly and in the popular literature as the squash blossom necklace. However, these ornaments are representations not of squash flowers but of the flowers of a plant that had much greater cultic significance: the sacred thorn apple (Datura innoxia, Datura discolor). The term squash blossom has come to be a widely used alias for Datura, which is used and venerated in secret» — el mismo mecanismo en la joyería navaja: el collar llamado de flor de calabaza representa en realidad la flor del toloache, y el nombre falso encubre una planta venerada en secreto.

«After this encounter, the divinities decided that A’neglakya and A’neglakyatsi’tsa knew too much and that they had to be banished from the world. And so the divinities caused the brother and the sister to vanish from the earth forever. But on the place where they disappeared, flowers grew —exactly those kinds of flowers that they had worn on their head when they had visited the earth. The divinities named the plants A’neglakya, after the boy. The first plant had many children who spread over the entire world. Some of the flowers are colored yellow, some blue, some red, some are entirely white—the colors of the four cardinal points» — y el desenlace de ese mito: las divinidades deciden que los hermanos saben demasiado, los hacen desaparecer, y donde desaparecieron crecen las flores que llevaban en la cabeza.

«The juice of Thornapple, boiled with hog’s grease, cureth all inflammations whatsoever, all manner of burnings and scaldings, as well of fire, water, boiling lead, gunpowder, as that which comes by lightning and that in very short time, as myself have found in daily practice, to my great credit and profit» — la receta de John Gerard que Rätsch cita del Herball: el zumo de toloache hervido con manteca de cerdo cura toda inflamación y toda quemadura, cosa que él dice haber comprobado en su práctica diaria.

«The effects of Datura innoxia—and in fact of all Datura species—are heavily dependent upon dosage and can vary greatly depending upon the method of application (Weil 1977). The Indian division into three stages has particular relevance here: A mild dosage produces medicinal and healing effects, a moderate dosage produces aphrodisiac effects, and high dosages are used for shamanic purposes» — la escala de tres grados que Rätsch adopta de la práctica indígena para el toloache: dosis leve medicinal, dosis moderada afrodisíaca y dosis alta para el fin chamánico.

«The skin acquired an unimagined sensitivity. A simple, light caress became a tender, fulfilling experience. The blood collected in our lower abdomens so quickly that it demanded we join. The normal sexual functions were extremely heightened. Every form of erotic exchange and sexual activity had a special deliciousness. The time to orgasm was much longer, and the orgasm itself appeared to last for minutes. During the phase of sexual activity, we were both pleasantly free of thoughts, uninhibited, and very much focused on the moment» — el relato de efecto afrodisíaco que el libro reproduce para cuatro hojas fumadas por una pareja: piel sensibilísima, función sexual muy aumentada, orgasmo largo y una ausencia agradable de pensamientos.

«Shamanic dosages induce profound visions, strong hallucinations, and delirium. As with those produced by Brugmansia suaveolens, the hallucinations can have a metaphysical character or can be quite banal» — y el efecto de la dosis chamánica, con su reserva dentro: visiones profundas, alucinaciones y delirio, que pueden tener carácter metafísico o ser del todo banales.

«This person is going to drink you. Give him a good life. Show him what he wants to know» — la oración al toloache que el libro cita en recuadro de Schultes y Hofmann, dirigida a la planta antes de beberla.

«In Mexico, peyote (Lophophora williamsii) is used as an antidote for toloache overdose» — el antídoto mexicano que Rätsch registra para la sobredosis de toloache: el peyote.

«They told the divinities how they had caused a person to fall asleep and see spirits and could have someone wander around who could see where a theft had occurred» — el núcleo del mito zuñi del origen de la datura que el libro reproduce: los dos hermanos contaban a las divinidades cómo hacían dormir a alguien para que viera espíritus y supiera dónde había ocurrido un robo.

«The Indian thorn apple was first mentioned in Sanskrit literature (Vamana Purana, Garuda Purana). The Arabic physician Avicenna (Ali al-Husayn Abd Allah Ibn Sina, 980–1037) discussed its medicinal use and the importance of dosage among the Arabs, who classified the plant as one of the so-called mokederrat, the narcotica» — el marco de la monografía de la datura india: primera mención en la literatura sánscrita, y Avicena discutiendo su uso medicinal y la importancia de la dosis entre los árabes, que la clasificaban entre los narcóticos.

«This thorn apple also appears in very ancient Tibetan and Mongolian texts, the existence of which demonstrates that Datura metel was indigenous to Asia prior to the fifteenth century» — y el argumento con que Rätsch data su presencia asiática: aparece en textos tibetanos y mongoles muy antiguos, lo que prueba que estaba en Asia antes del siglo XV.

«A unique method for preparing the plant was discovered in East India. Here, women feed datura leaves to a certain type of beetle (the exact species is unfortunately unknown) for a period of time and collect the beetle’s excrement. They then mix this into an unfaithful husband’s food for revenge» — la preparación india que Rätsch llama única: alimentar con hoja de datura a cierto escarabajo, recoger sus excrementos y mezclarlos en la comida del marido infiel por venganza.

«India has zones of datura use. For example, Bengal. The particularly passionate smoke Cannabis indica, ganjah, with two or three thorn apple seeds or a quantity of leaves as additives. In order to potentiate and alter the effects of alcoholic drinks upon the brain, they soften seeds in the drink, filter this, and mix it with palm wine. This is done, e.g., in Madras province. Or, as in Bombay, they allow the smoke of roasted seeds to come into contact with an alcoholic beverage for a night. It is certain that active components of the plant volatize in this way, and they can then be absorbed by the alcohol» — la cita de Lewin sobre las zonas indias de uso de la datura: semillas o hojas añadidas a la ganja en Bengala, semillas maceradas en la bebida en Madrás, y el humo de las semillas tostadas puesto en contacto una noche con el licor en Bombay.

«The dried leaves (or less often the flowers and seeds) are an important ingredient of tantric smoking blends» — el sitio de la datura india en el rito tántrico: ingrediente importante de las mezclas fumables, con la hoja seca por delante de la flor y la semilla.

«A mixture of equal parts of Datura metel leaves and hemp (Cannabis indica) flowers is particularly esteemed for its inebriating and aphrodisiac effects» — y la mezcla más estimada de todas: partes iguales de hoja de datura y flor de cáñamo, por embriagante y afrodisíaca.

«In Oceania, they are added to kava drinks to potentiate their inebriating effects (see Piper methysticum» — el uso oceánico que registra: semillas de datura añadidas a la bebida de kava para potenciar su embriaguez.

«On Mactan Island (off the coast of Cebu, in the Philippines), young flowers that have not yet unfurled are plucked and dipped briefly in boiling water. They are then laid out in the sun to dry. The dried flowers are crumbled, rolled in a cigarette paper, and smoked. The effects are said to be similar to those of marijuana, but stronger» — la preparación filipina que Rätsch describe: flores aún cerradas escaldadas, secadas al sol, desmenuzadas y fumadas, con efectos que se dicen como los de la mariguana pero más fuertes.

«According to the Vamana Purana, the thorn apple grew from the chest of the Hindu god Shiva, the lord of inebriants» — el mito de origen que Rätsch cita del Vamana Purana: la datura brotó del pecho de Shiva, señor de los embriagantes.

«In the Garuda Purana, it is said that Datura flowers should be offered to the god Yogashwara (= Shiva) on the thirteenth day of the waxing moon in January» — y la prescripción calendárica del Garuda Purana: las flores de datura se ofrecen a Yogashwara el día trece de la luna creciente de enero.

«Thorn apple flowers and fruits are among the most important offering gifts of the Newari of Nepal. At every family puja (devotional service or offering ceremony), Shiva is first offered Datura fruits in order to please him» — el uso newari de Nepal que registra: flores y frutos de datura entre las ofrendas principales, con los frutos ofrecidos a Shiva al empezar cada puja familiar para complacerlo.

«In Varanasi, Shiva’s sacred city, metel fruits and rose flowers are made into sacrifical garlands (malas) for the god of inebriation and sold to pilgrims and devotees at the entryways to his temples. These Datura chains are then devoutly placed around the lingam, the deity’s phallic-shaped image, as fresh flowers are tossed over it» — el rito de Varanasi que describe: guirnaldas de frutos de datura y rosas vendidas a los peregrinos a la entrada de los templos y colocadas con devoción alrededor del lingam; el tramo se corta antes del apóstrofo.

«In Uttar Pradesh (northern India), it is common knowledge that Datura metel can be used for inebriating purposes. Smoking the plant is regarded as pleasurable and not dangerous, whereas eating or drinking it is considered dangerous and is generally avoided» — la distinción de vías que Rätsch registra como saber común en Uttar Pradesh: fumar la datura se tiene por placentero y no peligroso, y comerla o beberla por peligroso y se evita.

«In Tibet and Mongolia, this thorn apple is used as an incense in secret Vajramabhairava Tantra rituals intended to transform wealth into poverty and to dispel certain spirits or energies. The fruits or seeds are used to induce insanity» — el uso tibetano y mongol que consigna: incienso en rituales tántricos secretos para transformar la riqueza en pobreza y apartar ciertos espíritus, y frutos o semillas para inducir la locura.

«In China, the white-blossomed Datura metel var. alba was considered to be sacred because it was believed that shimmering dew drops had rained from the heavens onto its flowers while the Buddha was giving a sermon» — la razón de la sacralidad china de esta datura según Rätsch: se creía que gotas de rocío resplandecientes habían llovido del cielo sobre sus flores mientras el Buda predicaba.

«Tradition has it that if someone laughs while the flowers are being plucked for use with wine, the wine will evoke laughter in all who drink it. If the flowers are picked while someone is dancing, the wine will induce dancing» — el pasaje del Pen tsao kang mu de Li Shih-chên que Rätsch reproduce: si alguien ríe al cortar las flores para el vino, el vino hará reír a todos, y si alguien baila, hará bailar.

«It is possible that this information may be referring to an ancient shamanic ritual» — y la lectura que propone en condicional: ese dato podría remitir a un antiguo ritual chamánico.

«The Igorot, a Malayan tribal people of Luzon (Philippines), boil the leaves to make an inebriating soup that is eaten communally in a ritual circle» — el uso igorot que registra: hojas hervidas en una sopa embriagante que se come en común en un círculo ritual.

«In Africa, Datura metel is used for criminal telepathy and in initiations. The seeds are also used to poison victims so they can be robbed» — los tres usos africanos que Rätsch alinea sin armonizarlos: telepatía criminal, iniciaciones, y semillas para envenenar a las víctimas y robarlas.

«In Tsongaland, which stretches from Mozambique to the Transvaal, Datura metel var. fastuosa is utilized as a hallucinogenic ritual drug (mondzo) in the initiation of girls into women» — el rito tsonga que Rätsch describe: la datura como droga ritual alucinógena en la iniciación de las muchachas en mujeres, paralela al uso de otra datura en la de los muchachos.

«The next stage is a water ritual, through which the initiates are cleansed and are supposed to cast aside their childish past» — la fase acuática de ese rito y su sentido declarado: las iniciadas quedan limpias y han de dejar atrás su pasado infantil.

«Following this symbolic defloration, a “school-mother” covered entirely in Datura leaves, toad skins, and dog teeth bursts out from the bushes» — la aparición ritual que sigue a la desfloración simbólica: una madre de escuela cubierta de hojas de datura, pieles de sapo y dientes de perro sale de los matorrales.

«The initiates are covered in blankets and laid onto palm mats as rhythmic drumming prepares them to receive the Datura drink» — y el papel del tambor en esa preparación: envueltas en mantas y tendidas sobre esteras, las iniciadas son dispuestas por el ritmo para recibir la bebida.

«The schoolmother approaches the initiates, spits upon them, and tells them repeatedly that they will soon hear the voice of the fertility god» — lo que la madre de escuela les anuncia: que pronto oirán la voz del dios de la fertilidad.

«We dig up the medicinal plants that are known to all. Take the medicine, about which you have already heard so much» — el canto con que la madre de escuela ofrece la bebida: desenterramos las plantas medicinales que todos conocen, tomad la medicina de la que tanto habéis oído.

«Now the initiates drink and listen for the voice of the fertility god. They experience certain visions that are shaped and channeled by means of music and song» — y el mecanismo que Rätsch destaca de ese rito: las visiones que las iniciadas tienen quedan moldeadas y canalizadas por la música y el canto.

«In the Kathmandu Valley, thangkas and statues show Unmata Bhairab, the “divinely inebriated thorn apple Bhairab” (a special tantric form of Shiva), standing straight up» — el artefacto nepalí que registra: thangkas y estatuas del valle de Katmandú que muestran al Bhairab divinamente embriagado de datura, forma tántrica de Shiva.

«The [metel] seeds are a forbidden article among the Dutch, both in India and in Holland, inasmuch as the beer brewers use it to fortify their weak beer, and the brandy distillers do the same; but when they use a bit too much of it, it makes the people who drink of it senseless for a time, or it weakens their reason, so that they imagine some wondrous and almost laughable things, depending upon how their humors are inclined, as for example that one would be a great lord, king, or prince, or another that he wants to swim in the water, even though he is lying in a bed or is in the room, while another has foolish fantasies» — el testimonio de Georg Meister que el libro cita en recuadro: las semillas prohibidas entre los holandeses porque cerveceros y destiladores las usan para reforzar su bebida, con los delirios de grandeza que provocan; los corchetes son del libro.

«Not very far from the gate there bloomed a Datura fastuosa (beautiful thorn apple), with its wonderfully scented, large, funnel-shaped flowers in such splendid magnificence, that Eugenius thought with shame about the wretched appearance that the same plant displayed in his own garden. . . . There floated, as if borne by the evening airs, the sweet accords of an unknown instrument from the remote magical bushes, and the wondrous heavenly tones of a woman’s voice ascended luminously.—It was one of those melodies that can spring only from the deepest breast of the fires of love of the south; it was a Spanish romance that the hidden one sang» — el pasaje de E. T. A. Hoffmann que el libro cita en recuadro: el toloache en flor de aroma maravilloso, y los acordes y la voz de mujer que suben de los matorrales mágicos.

«In Europe, this species of Datura quickly became known as a medicinal plant under the name rauchapfel (“smoking apple”) because its leaves can be smoked to treat asthma» — la razón del nombre europeo de esta datura que Rätsch da: se la llamó manzana de humo porque sus hojas se fuman contra el asma.

«In Tsongaland, the hallucinogenic effects are controlled by music, resulting in auditory hallucinations and synesthetic perceptions in which the music is perceived as colors and stereotypical patterns» — el mecanismo tsonga que Rätsch destaca: la música controla el efecto alucinógeno y produce alucinaciones auditivas y percepciones sinestésicas en que la música se ve como colores y patrones.

«The contents of these visions include blue-green patterns, green snakes or worms, whirlpools, and sandbanks. The snakes are interpreted as ancestral gods and the auditory hallucinations as the spoken messages of the fertility god» — y el contenido de esas visiones con su interpretación émica: patrones azulverdes, serpientes o gusanos verdes y remolinos, con las serpientes leídas como dioses ancestrales y las voces como mensajes del dios de la fertilidad.

«Overdoses will usually result in a delirious state that sometimes can last for days, after which little or nothing can be recalled. Thieves, criminals, and bands of robbers (e.g., the Thuggs) make use of this property when they wish to sedate their victims and rob or rape them without disturbance» — el uso criminal que Rätsch consigna a partir del efecto: el delirio con amnesia que ladrones y bandas como los thugs aprovechan para sedar a sus víctimas.

«The origins of this potently hallucinogenic thorn apple species are unknown and have been the subject of considerable botanical debate» — la incertidumbre con que Rätsch abre la monografía del toloache común: su origen se desconoce y ha sido objeto de un debate botánico considerable.

«Some authors have suggested that Datura stramonium is an Old World species from the region of the Caspian Sea, while others maintain that it originated in Mexico. It is less frequently assumed that the species is from the eastern coast of North America (Schultes and Hofmann 1995*). Still other authors believe that the plant is from Eurasia and did not arrive in Mexico until the colonial period» — y las cuatro hipótesis que alinea sin arbitrar: el mar Caspio, México, la costa oriental de Norteamérica, y Eurasia con llegada a México solo en la colonia.

«of soldiers in Jamestown, Virginia, was served a salad made from thorn apple leaves by their cook. The soldiers fell into a state of delirium that got out of hand and acted like idiots (see “Effects”). As a result, the plant also became known by the name Jamestown weed, which eventually became jimsonweed» — el episodio de 1676 que da nombre a la planta: los soldados de Jamestown a los que el cocinero sirvió ensalada de hojas de toloache y cayeron en delirio, de donde Jamestown weed y luego jimsonweed; el tramo abre en la plana 617 continuando la frase de la 616.

«The interpretation that Datura stramonium is the plant that Theophrastus and Dioscorides referred to as strychnós manikós is quite uncertain (cf. Dieckhöfer et al. 1971, 432; Marzell 1922, 170*). It is more likely that these ancient descriptions refer to the poison nut» — la identificación antigua que Rätsch pone en duda: que Teofrasto y Dioscórides llamaran strychnós manikós a esta datura es muy incierto, y es más probable que se refirieran a la nuez vómica.

«The trance-inducing smoke of Delphi (cf. Hyoscyamus albus) has been attributed to an incense made with Datura stramonium» — y la atribución que registra en voz pasiva: el humo de Delfos que inducía el trance, adjudicado a un incienso de toloache.

«It is widely believed that Gypsies brought this thorn apple to Europe (Perger 1864, 183*). Matthiolus wrote that Tatula Strominio altera was an Oriental plant» — las dos noticias sobre la llegada europea del toloache que Rätsch alinea: la creencia extendida de que lo trajeron los gitanos, y Matthiolus llamándolo planta oriental.

«The thorn apple, which is also known as the zombie cucumber, is an active ingredient in zombie poison» — el uso caribeño que Rätsch consigna: el toloache, llamado pepino de zombi, como ingrediente activo del veneno de zombi.

«Among the Huastec, it is said that Datura stramonium leaves can kill witches and sorcerers (brujas and brujos» — la creencia huasteca que registra: las hojas de esta datura pueden matar a brujas y brujos.

«The Mixe of Oaxaca (Mexico) believe that Datura stramonium contains a plant spirit in the form of a very old woman. For this reason, one Mixe name for the plant is ta:g’amih, “grandmother» — la creencia mixe que Rätsch consigna: en la planta hay un espíritu con forma de mujer muy vieja, de donde uno de sus nombres, abuela.

«Grandmother, do us a favor and cure the illness [name of person] is suffering from. Here we pay you, we carry [the plant] to see what illness [she or he] has. We are sure that you will remedy» — la oración mixe de cosecha que el libro reproduce: se pide a la abuela que cure la enfermedad, se le paga con piedrecillas o ramas y se declara la certeza de que remediará; los corchetes son del libro.