[Aztlan] Tobacco in Enema?

[Nick Hopkins]

The use of tobacco infusions in alcohol is documented in an article  
by Luisa Maffi, and probably elsewhere as well.  In her case, the  
liquid is sprayed by mouth on the patient (in Chol, such a  
practitioner would be a xwujty,  a "sprayer"), but there is no reason  
why they couldn't have used the infusion for enemas in Classic  
times.  As an old hippy friend of mine told me back in the 60s, an  
enema is the only way to take peyote without getting the stomach  
cramps; the chemicals go right into the blood stream.  As he said,  
"Just lean over and shoot up..."  :-)  Sorry if this is too graphic,  
it's in the interest of science...

Maffi, Luisa
  1996    Liquor and Medicine: A Mayan Case Study in Diachronic  
Semantics.  Journal of Linguistic Anthropology 6(1): 27–46.


Nick Hopkins


On Jun 11, 2007, at 11:00 AM, Justin Kerr wrote:

> Is it
> possible that the Maya made a liquid extract from tobacco using  
> alcohol as
> the extractor?
>
>
>
> Any thoughts on the matter?
>
> Justin Kerr
>