Continuing Research

GOLD POISON CUP FRAGMENT

In 1997 a solid gold fragment of what is believed to be a "Poison Cup", artifact # 39597, was recovered from the Cannon site by Captain Steve Hancock and the crew of the m/v Discoveries. Poison cups were not used to poison someone but to protect one from poisoning. Bezoar Stones were used from early times for both their supposedly medicinal qualities and their ability to detect and neutralize poisons. The stones themselves are a biological by-product of certain animals – named for the Bezoar Goats of Tibet and the orient. These specific stones were thought to be the most efficacious in preventing death by poison. However, Bezoar Stones are found in other similar animals and as the Spanish explored and conquered the New World they encountered animals that also produced similar stones. These animals included Llamas, Vicuñas and Alpaca.

Figure: 31 Poison Cup Fragment Tag number #39597 showing attachment for Bezoar Stone
Figure: 33 Illustration #39597

Figure: 32 top view

This fragment (See figures 31,32 and 33) is similar in some respects to an intact example recovered from the wreck of the Nuestra Senora de Atocha, 1622. This high karat gold example features double handles, an inscribed motif of fantastic animals and a floral design. (See figures 34 and 35) The interior of the cup had settings for cabochon cut emeralds and a cage that was attached at the center of the inside of the cup. This cage was to hold a Bezoar Stone.


Figure: 34 Gold Poison Cup Atocha 1622
Figure: 35 Gold Poison Cup Atocha
1622 Ills. Courtesy Mel Fisher
Maritime Heritage Society

As early as 1580 word of Bezoars being found in the New World was reaching Europe in a book published in Sevilla in 1584 Juan Acosta mentions them extensively: In the chapter entitled "Of the Bezoar stone."

"The Bezoar stone is found in all these beasts before mentioned, which are proper to Peru, whereof some Authors of our time have written whole bookes, which they may reade that desire to have a more particular knowledge. For the present subiect it shalt be sufficient to say that this stone which they call Bezoar is found in the stomacke and belly of this beast, sometimes one alone, sometimes two, three, and foure. They are very different in forme, greatnesse, and colour, for that some are small like filberds and lesse, others like walnuts, some like pigeons egges, and others, as bigge as a hens egge; and I have seene some as bigge as an orange. In forme some are round, others in fashion like to lentils and many other formes. For their colour some are black, some white, some grey, dark greene, and others as if they had beene gilded. It is no certaine rule to iudge the best and most fine by the colour or forme. All these stones are made and fashioned of divers films and skins one vpon another. In the province of Xauxa and other provinces of Peru they find these stones in divers kinds of beasts, both wild and tame, as in the Huanacos, Pacos, Vicunas, and Tarugas, some adde an other kind, which they say are wilde goates, which the Indians call Cypris. 1These other kindes of beastes are very well knowen in Peru,whereof wee have already discoursed. The Huanacos, or country sheepe, or Pacos have commonly the lesser stones and blacke, neither are they so much approved for the


vse of physicke. They draw the greatest Bezoar stones from the Vicuñas, and they are grey or white, or of a darkgreene, which are helde for the better. They esteem those of the Tarugas for the most excellent, whereof there are some reasonable bigge. They are commonly white, inclining to grey, and they have the filmes commonly bigger and thicker than the rest. They finde the Bezoar stone equally both in male and female. All beasts that ingender it chew the cud, and commonly feede vpon the snow and rockes. The Indians reporte and teach by tradition from their fathers and Antients that in the province of Xauxa, and in other provinces of Peru, there are many herbs and venomous beasts,which poison the water and the pastures where they eate and drinke, and where they breathe; amiddest which venomous hearbes there is one very well knowne of the Vicuañ by a naturall instinct, and of other beasts that ingender the Bezoar stone which eate this bearb, and by meanes thereof they preserve themselves from the poisoned waters and pastures; and they say that of this hearb the stone is compounded in the stomacke, whence it drawes all the vertue against poyson and other woonderfull effects.This is the Opinion and tradition of the Indians, discovered by men of great expeflence in the kingdome of Peru, which agrees with reason, and with that which Plinie reports of the mountaine goates, which are nourished and fed vpon poison without suffering any harme. The Indians being demaunded why the sheepe, kine, goates, and calves, such as are in Castille, have not the Bezoar stone, seeing that they feede on the same rockes, their answer is, that they beleeve not that those beasts of Castille eate of that hearb, or that they have found the Bezoar stone in stags and fallow diere. This seemes to agree with our knowledge, for that in New Spaine they find the Bezoar stone, although there he no Vicuñas, Pacos, Tarugas, nor Huanacos, but only stags, in some of which they finde these stones. The principall vertue of the Bezoar stone is against poison and venomous diseases, although there bee heerein divers opinions; some hold it for. a mockerie, others for a miracle. Howsoever it be, it is most certane that it is of a great operation when it is applied in time, and convenient in a maner as hearbes, and to persons capable and disposed ; for there is no medicine that doth alwaies cure infallibly. In Spaine and Italie we have seene admirable effects of this stone against the tabordete, 2 which is a kinde of plague, but not so much as in Peru. They do apply it beaten and put into some liquor, which may make it fit for the cure of melancholy, the falling sickness, pestilent feavers, and many other diseases. Some take it in wine, others in vinegar, in lemonade, with bullock's tongue, borrage and other ways, as the Phisitians and Apoticaries prescribe. The Bezoar stone bath no proper savour, as Rasis the Arabian doth testifie. Wee have seene notable trialls, and there is no doubt but the Author of this vniversall world bath given great vertues to this stone. The Bezoar stones which come from the East Indies have the first place of account, they are of an olive colour; the second are those of Peru, and the third those of New Spain. Since that these stones were in request, they say the Indians have made artificiall ones; and many when they see these stones greater then the ordinarie, they take them to be false and counterfeit; triall and experience is the best mistres to know them. One thing is worthy admiration, that they grow and are fashioned vpon very strange things, as vpon the tegge of apoint, vpon a pinue, or a peece of wood, which they finde inthe centre of this stone, and yet do they not hold it false, for that the beast might swallow it, and the stone thicken vpon it, and growes one vpon another, and so it increaseth. I did see in Peru two stones fashioned vpon piñones of Castille, which made vs to wonder much, for that in all Peru we had not seene any pines or piñones of


Castille, if they were not brought from Spaine, which seemes to mevery extraordinary. This little may suffice touching the Bezoar stone. They bring other phisicall stones from the Indies, as the stone of Hyjada, the bloud stone, the stones of milke, and of the mother. 3 Those which they call Cornerinas, for the heart, whereof there is no neede to speake, having nothing common with the subiect of beastes, whereof we have entreated; which gives vs to vnderstand how the great Master and Author of all hath imparted his benefites and wonderfull secrets to all partes of the world; for the which he is to be glorified for ever. Amen. (Juan Acosta,1584, Sevilla)"


Recent studies have shown that Bezoar Stones do have some effect on arsenic type poisons as shown by Mr.Corey Malcomb, Mel Fisher Maritime Heritage Society June, 1998):

"To be a person of status in the seventeenth century was to be exposed to the jealousies and resentments of others eager to climb the social ladder by whatever means necessary, including murder. Royalty, politicians, and the wealthy had to be aware of plots to destroy them, and take the necessary precautions if they wanted to protect themselves. Rapiers, bodyguards and a loyal circle of associates were often not enough to combat the more insidious means of assassination, especially when it came to difficult to detect poisons. Writing in the early part of the 1600’s, Captain Alonso de Contreras, a prominent Spanish soldier of fortune, describes the malicious actions of a cousin who was desirous of his position in an upcoming military campaign. The rival family member had his breakfast eggs laced with arsenic. After first becoming very ill, and fearing death, Contreras began to recover. To aid his progress, a restorative fruit cordial was prescribed for him. That too was poisoned, and the cook was arrested. The following day, Contreras could only manage one bite of lunch before he became ill again. Thinking it was only remaining symptoms of the earlier attempts on his life, his bodyguard naively finished the meal. A few hours later, he was dead, the victim of a third round of poisoning.

Many persons of status accepted potential poisoning as a chronic threat and armed themselves for battle against it. Medicine of the time was often practiced by improperly trained and unlicensed "surgeons" who could often do more harm than good. Those who were wise would take preventive action to avoid having to depend on unreliable "cures." Because wine and other drinks were often laced with arsenic, the most popular poison of the period, many magical devices were employed to negate its deleterious effects before it was consumed. Amethyst, crushed emerald and "unicorn horn" (often narwhal tusk) were all immersed in suspect beverages in the belief that they would render them safe. The most common and effective of these amulets was the bezoar stone. Bezoars are the gall stones of calcium and hair found in the alimentary tracts of ruminants such as deer, sheep, llamas and antelope. The original bezoars came from goats found in the mountains of Western Persia. They were introduced to Europe from the Middle East sometime in the 11th century, and they remained popular there until the 18th century.

Discoveries on the wreck of Nuestra Señora de Atocha show that, in colonial Spanish-America of 1622, bezoar stones were certainly popular, and relied upon. Bezoars were rare, and the extravagant contexts from which they were found on the wreck show the power and esteem that was ascribed to them. The most spectacular item to reflect this

belief is the gold "poison" cup, which once held a permanently mounted bezoar in its interior to absorb the poison from any drink it may have held. Another, chicken-egg sized bezoar is beautifully mounted in an engraved and enameled gold framework that was apparently designed to be suspended from a chain. This stone could then be immersed in any drinking vessel to remove toxins. A group of ten unadorned bezoars was found in a silver canister, apparently being shipped to Spain for more formal treatment. Because the Atocha primarily traded in South America, it is assumed these bezoars were extracted from llamas or alpacas, although there are accounts of the Spanish taking them from deer in the New World.

Modern examinations of the properties of bezoars by Gustaf Arrhenius and Andrew A. Benson of the Scripps Institution of Oceanography have shown that they could, when immersed in an arsenic-laced solution, remove the poison. The toxic compounds in arsenic are arsenate and arsenite. Each is acted upon differently, but effectively, by bezoar stones. Arsenate is removed by being exchanged for phosphate in the mineral brushite, a crystalline structure found in the stones. Arsenite is found to bond to sulfur compounds in the protein of degraded hair, which is a key component in bezoars.

By the eighteenth century the marriage of magic and medicine was coming unraveled. Too many ailments, such as epilepsy, jaundice and plague were said to be treatable by bezoars, and people began to grow wary of such claims. The popularity of the bezoar soon faded."


Although generalized uses of the Bezoar Stones went out of favor in Europe and the New World over a century ago, in the pantheon of exotic oriental medicinals there is still a call for them. This has fostered illicit trade in exotic animal products along with Rhinoceros horn and Bear gall bladder. (Report from the university of Liden 2000):

Bezoar stones

The trade consisted of animal parts that were both powerful symbols and ceremonial objects culturally shared by various groups of Dayak people throughout the interior of Borneo. These objects included: hornbill feathers used in traditional dances, cloud leopard teeth and skin, pheasant feathers, and deer antlers that were either displayed directly or manufactured into fine crafts. Other animal parts like rhino horns and bezoar stones were linked to Chinese medicinal trade with networks reaching both the eastern and western sides of the island.

Nowadays, the trade in some wildlife products like bezoar stones is thriving, stimulated by high market prices. Hunting methods have also changed. The availability of firearms used instead of blowpipes as hunting tools has made it easier for collectors, including outsiders, to experiment with a kind of hunting practice still unfamiliar to them. Since the early 1990s, the number of people hunting langur monkeys has increased. The market price of bezoar stones is the highest unit price among all wildlife products selling, at village level, for as much as $20-25/g in Indonesia. In a survey of 43 forest expeditions in the Apo Kayan area of the interior, in 1996, more than 50% of the informants recalled that the purpose of the expedition was to look for gaharu trees and hunt langur monkeys

whenever guns were available. Some hunters are also setting up nets for trapping porcupines (Hystrix brachyura) which may also carry bezoar stones. The latter can fetch even higher prices (25-30$/g) but the trapping requires special knowledge of the preferred habitat of the porcupine.

Local hunters claim they cull sick and old monkeys (the last ones in the troop to descend to the salt spring to drink), which are believed to be more likely to have significantly developed bezoar stones. Although local hunters and collectors can be selective on the basis of experience and knowledge of the local ecology, outsiders can kill indiscriminately as they have no vested interest in preserving natural resources for later or for future generations. In some cases, there have been occasional reports of groups of collectors who poisoned the salt springs and thus killed hundreds of langur Hose's Leaf monkeys


The fragmentary piece recovered from the 1715 Fleet has a different attachment for a Bezoar Stone. A thin shaft that is threaded rises out of the center leading one to surmise that if this were the remains of a poison cup the Bezoar Stone would have had to be drilled.

The persistent use of the Bezoar stone and the cups and artifacts associated with them through the years speaks to the popularity of these items of medicinal value in the Spanish material culture of the time.

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