The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1880-01-16
ONE FROG THAT Is POISONOUS.
A south American Ratrachian which
Furnishes q Rival to Curare.
Eram Tho Iantlan Iiiunn

A South American Ratrachian which
furntshes . Rival to Curare.
From the London Tines.
mo frog, 40 far m yet known" says
recent work OF some authority, I" possess.
en- any poison organs" On tho contrary,
Nj. Andre, who was charged with
scientific expedition ~ South A merica In
1896, has recently published sn account
of frog found In the northwest part Of
that continent which carries one of tho
most virulent poisons known. II In call.
cd neacra by the Choco Indians of the
region between tho Bay Of Buensventura
and tho lsthmus Of Darien, who use its
poison for their arrows. The animal Ia
snall, slender, and very agile; In of q
bright yellow color on tho upper part Of
the body, while the legs aud abdomen
are black. The Choco Indians blow
their arrows from n long tube. When
In quest Of the frog for Its poison,
Generally In the district of tho Rio
Tatsna, an sfluent of the st. juan
they cover their hands with large leaves
10 prevent contact with the skin. Having
caught the animal, Ian operation of somo
difliculty,) they put IL in q piece of
bamboo. On reaching their camp they
light fire, and when the wood Is well
lighted the frog Ia carefully fixed by
means Of a fine splint passed through
the mouth and the hind legs The
splint Is turned round above the
burning cmbers. The skin of the
frog swells, and presently bursts,
giving out yellowish, aGrid liquid,
In which the points Of the arrows
arc Immediately dipped. II Is said
though 1t Ii difficult TO believe, that tho
animal docs not always die In this
process, and II Is then restored 10 its ma.
tive woods 10 be victimixed, possibly, on
an after occasion. When the Chocos
wish ~ prepare u large quantity Of tho
poison, they rig up an apparatus consist.
Ing of three rods al bamboo forming
tripod. A fro il lit In the middle, tho
frog Is suspended over II by one leg with
a piece Of fibre, and when Its heated
body il covered with an emulation Of
poison, one OF the women holds u little
earthen dish below to collect the liquid,
which II carefully preserved, and after
some time acquires solid consistency,
like curare. The Indians dip their ar.
rows in IL before IL completely solidifies,
and often carry some Of II In their belts.
Tho effects Of this poison are pretty
similar 10 those Of curarc. They are
nil when the substance Is passed into the
stomach, and when Il il introduced into
the blood temporary paralysis ensues,
lasting long enough 70 kill by asphyxia.
When bird IL prieked with one Of these
darts, even though prepared several
years before, II soon pants and trembles,
giving a thick saliva from the mouth,
and In three or four minutes It dies. No
counter agent of the poison IL known,
Mr.. Andre regards the frog In question
M simply n variety, which no names
torica'ia, Phyiiobatss biccdior Bibr., u
species found first in Cuba. From the
fact that, unlike the Cuban species, II
does not climb trees, NJ. Arrange, n
Columbian doctor who has written on
the animal, would place It in n new
species, which he names Phyiiobates
Caocoensis.