Note 121 — Chapter XIV

I have seen Piso’s account of the snakes of Brazil; and although the description which I have given of those which I saw, and of which I heard, differs somewhat from his, I have allowed mine to remain as it originally stood. Piso mentions the root of the jurepeba plant as being efficacious in curing the bites of snakes. Is this the jurubeba? If so, it is surprising that it should not now be used for this purpose. The jurubeba is to be found in almost all situations; a small shrub which yields a fruit resembling the potatoe apple. A decoction of the root is taken frequently at the present day for coughs and colds.