Dr. Weil is the author of The Natural Mind, reviewed in this issue. While on a trip to Central and South America in 1972, he wrote a series of newsletters distributed by The Institute of Current World Affairs, from which "In the Land of Yage" is taken. I regret to say that, although I looked quite a bit in the Putumayo, I did not find any other yage-men who inspired more confidence. I fear that the old rituals are not to be found any more in this part of the Amazon and that what exists now is simply the drug, isolated from its former tribal context. Certainly, the heavy use of aguardiente - a white man's liquor if ever there was one - reflects this debasement of older Indian ways. But there are many other regions of yage use in South America, and perhaps one day I shall find one where the ritual is more impressive.