Salient. Official Newspaper of the Victoria University Students' Association. Vol 41 No. 26. October 2 1978
Students Take to Leaf Power
Students Take to Leaf Power
A small, but growing number of students are engaged in the unusual practice of chewing begonia leaves.
One of the students stated that "chewing begonia leaves resulted in a feeling of elation and had a definite stimulatory effect."
At cult members' insistence, I also tried chewing begonia leaves and found them unusual but not unpleasant.
To the uninitiated, begonia leaves taste bitter at first but about 15 minutes later a feeling of light-headedness and carefree abandon results.
Tests conducted by a senior biochemistry student revealed that begonia leaves contained "several unidentified substances, possibly stimulants".
Further tests are not being [unclear: ca out] on in an attempt to positively identify the [unclear: substances.]
Opinions differ as to [unclear: wheth he] practice is habit- forming but another senior [unclear: stud dmits] that since being introduced to begonia leaves [unclear: by close] friend, she finds it increasingly difficult to do [unclear: wi t] them.
A problem is posed [unclear: whether ot] begonias will now be classified as narcotics.
According to personal [unclear: reports all] species of begonia have the same properties.
The common garden or [unclear: bed befonia] is the most suitable and leaves of the [unclear: more wy] hiberous type less satisfying.
It is not known yet what [unclear: the al] attitude to chewing begonia leaves will be. Cult [unclear: m ars] appear unlikely to be perturbed by any possible [unclear: out].
In the words of one of [unclear: them: s] cheap, harmless and stimulating—some of us [unclear: have a] doing it for years and we wen't be stopped now."