MATRIZ DE RIESGOS RESIDUALES

After inquiring after the symptoms and circumstances of the illness and taking the pulse of the patient, Don Emilio pro- ceeds to locate the virote or magic dart in the body of the pa- tient. In order to find the virote, Don Emilio rubs a little camphor water in his hands and on the area where he suspects the magic dart is located. He blows smoke on the part affected, and feels by touching the exact location of the virote. Don Emilio determines then whether it is a matter of "simple" witchcraft, which can be sucked directly, or whether it is something more complicated, which demands the use of medicinal plants. When Don Emilio understands that the witch who caused the illness is stronger than he is, he refuses to treat the patient, and advises him to find another vegetalista.

In cases of serious witchcraft, as in that of Don Lucas, three plants are used: the tuberous roots of chicuru piripiri (Cyperaceae sp.), the leaves of piñón rojo (Jatropha gossiphy-

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This magic illness is also known among the Shipibo of Ucayali under the name cungatuccha. A plant called ushado (unidenti- fied) is used for extracting this illness (Guillermo Arévalo, personal communication)

folia), and the resin of bellaco caspi (Himatanthus sucuu- ba). Two or three roots of chicuru piripiri are pounded and

placed on four or five leaves of piñón rojo. To this the resin of bellaco caspi. is added, enough nearly to cover the chicuru

piripiri. According to Don Emilio these three plants "know each

other very well, and together they are a unique remedy against witchcraft" The function of these plants is to loosen the viro-

te, so that it can be extracted more easily. The mixture is

then placed on a clean handkerchief. Then Don Emilio takes four cigarettes of mapacho (a strong tobacco) which are usually brought by the patient, and sings an icaro over them to rein-

force the healing properties of the tobacco smoke. Thereafter he lights one of the cigarettes and blows the smoke several times on the plant mixture. Tobacco is believed to cleanse the plants, and to endow them with healing power.

Don Emilio placing the crushed seeds of chicuru piri-piri on the patient's stomach

The next step is to bring forth the yachay, yausa, or mariri that Don Emilio has in his stomach. He puts a little camphor water in his mouth, lights a cigarette, and swallows the smoke several times. He then begins to contract his stomach as if he was trying to vomit and regurgitates the magic substance. When the yachay is in his mouth, he begins to suck the place where

the virote is located. He does this for several minutes produ- cing very impressive sounds. After some minutes of sucking he extracts part of the virote and goes outside to spit it out. He blows several times in the direction where the illness is sup- posed to have flown. He repeats this whole operation from four to six times. The entire sequence takes about one hour.

When all this is done, Don Emilio blows smoke on the patient: on the top of his head, on the place where the illness is loca- ted, all over his body. The patient has to stretch his arms in front of him with the palms together. Smoke is blown from the top of the fingers horizontally along the arms. In this way the patient is covered by the arkana, which according to Don Emilio is like an invisible armour that covers the person, and protects him from illness (cf.4.2.).

The next thing is to apply the plants he had prepared in the place where the illness is supposed to be. On the throat, in the case of Don Lucas, in the pit of the stomach, in the case of the woman. The function of these plants is to act upon witchcraft, so that it will be easier to remove the rest of it in the next healing session. The number of healing sessions de- pends on the seriousness of the case. Usually from three to six healing sessions are required.

In even more serious cases Don Emilio extracts the latex of

catahua (Hura crepitans), boils it for a short time, and gives

a spoonful to the patient after having sung an icaro over the

preparation7 4. Some latex is also applied externally in the

place where the virote is located. The catahua has very strong emetic and cathartic effects on the patient. Don Emilio says

that in this way the virote is destroyed75.

The patient has to follow a very strict diet during a period of time which depends on the gravity of the witchcraft. This diet is similar to that required of the apprentice during the initiation to ayahuasca and other plant teachers: no salt, su- gar, spices, cold beverages, pork, peccary, chicken, eggs or certain species of fish should be ingested. Sexual abstinence is also compulsory (cf. Dobkin de Rios 1973:70; Chevalier 1982:346; Luna 1984b:145).

7 4_{The catahua has to be at least fifteen years old and has to}

grow far from places where people usually go. The vegetalista goes to the jungle before sunrise with an empty stomach. Before taking the resin, the vegetalista addresses the catahua tree with the appelative "grandfather", and asks permission to take some of its "blood". Thereafter he makes a cut in the trunk, and collects some of the resin in a bowl or a bottle.

7 5

Don Emilio told me that other plants such as patuquina negra (Dieffenbachia sp.), the resin of lupuna (Ceiba pentandra) and the bark of ayahúman (Couroupita guianensis Aubl.) are used to extract the virote. I have not yet enquired about the proce- dures that follow.