Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1883-04-20
Indian Arrow polsons.

~ :
OF the three poisons prepared by the
Moqui of Arizona the first is called tie
ki-le-li-wi-poson ointment. Poison
given internally to cause death, whether
in powder or liquid, has no definite
name beyond its being "bad medicine"
The .'poison ointmenE' is prepared in
this wise: A rattlesnake Is tormented
until it bites itself, when. the priest of
the "Snake Order" dips the arrow point
as well as short portion of tho shaft,
into the blood obtained from the SER
pent. 1t is stated that wound from
such an arrow will cause death in from
three to four days under ordinary cir
cumstances, and in n much shorter time
If the victim has been fasting for day
OF two, condition in which an Indian
is frequently found even in times of
peace. The second variety is prepared
from the "hnmble bee," which, after
being maddened by being disturbed in
the nest and struck at by ,withes and
branches, is killed. The insects are
then gathered and crushed in a primi-
tive stone mortar, where the mass is
thoroughly macerated, after which the
arrows are anointed in manner similar
to the preceding. Wounds are not
liable to cause dangerous results, al
though they become exceedingly in
famed and very painful, the effects
being attributable to the presence of
formic acid. The third variety is pre-
pared by crushing a number of large
red ants-a variety found all over the
northern elevated areas-in q similar
manner DIS the preceding, and in which
the arrows are dipped The poison is
not necessarily a fatal one, though in
stances have been given on "1ndian
authority" The present author has
treated wounds caused by this insect in
several instances, when great constitu-
tional disturbances resulted in short
time, followed by. inflammation in an
aggravated form and sometimes accom-
panied by delirium. d. .s's,
The Apaches occupying the habitable
areas of Arizona, Immediately south of
the Moqui Pueblos, prepare poison
composed of the venom of the rattle
snake mixed with the decomposed liver
of deer or antelope. The modus oper-
andi could not be ascertained in detail,
though it is probable that the method
may be similar to that formerly prac-
ticed by the Teton Dakota, among whom
the writer has witnessed the ceremony.
A rattlesnake was searched for at one
of the ,prairie-dog towns, and when dis
covered was secured to the ground by
means of forked stick so as to prevent
its escape and yet not to injure it. An
assistant would thence pierce deer's
liver, which had been procured for the
purpose, and upon inserting short pole
would thrust it toward the serpent, who
would repeatedly bury its fangs. In this
manner the venom was secured, and
when the snake refused to bite again it
was destroyed. The liver was then
placed upon tall, upright pole, where
it was allowed to decompose, after
which twas crushed in q small dish,
when the arrows were. dipped into the
mass and allowed to dry. Poisoned ar
rows were carried in double quiyers and
tied together with black band or piece
of cloth to distinguish them from the
harmless ones. Serpent venom was en-
ployed by the Siris of Western Sonora.
After small excavation had been made
in the ground cows liver was intro
duced, together with Lcehtipedes, scor-
pions and rattlesnaku. After teasing
these creatures for a while with the
hope that the liver might receive most
of the venom discharged during their
angry struggles, it was removed and
crushed into a jelly, into which the ar
rows were dipped. aot ada I'd,
Apache arrows which have been prop
erly besmeared with poison are readily
distinguished from the ordinary weap-
ons by the dark kreddish-brown coating
over the anterior portion of the shaft
Immediately back of the arrowhead.
The latter also presents the same ap-
pearance at times, though were this the
only portion to which poison had been
applied there. would be difficulty in
Identification, as the arrow-points are
generally secured to the end Of the shaft
by the liberal application of mesquite
gum, after which the sinew-threads are
applied for greater security. .l,.4 III
The Pah-Utes, just south of the Sho-
shones, remove the heart of a large
mammal and place it into a correspond
ing cavity in the ground. Rattlesnake
fangs, with the poison-saes, are then
ground into pulp, with horned toad
or two, which mass is then emptied into
the cavity of the heart and allowed to
decompose. The whole mass is said to
dry into tough mass resembling
caoutchouc. This is finally cut into
small pieces. In poisons prepared by
the combination of serpent venom and
decomposed organic matter it is not
positively known which, if not both, of
the substances acts as the toxic agent.
Cases thus far observed or recorded
have resulted in septic@mia and death.
One in particular, a mere scratch upon
the shoulder blade, died in great mis-
cry in less than q week, though not be-
fore the flesh had literally dropped from
the back as far down as the hips. 1t is
probable that the septic poison of the
organic matter remains active for a
greater period of time than the serpent
venom, being favored by immediate
drying in the drier atmosphere of the
extreme western plateaus. DR.. s.. Wier
Mitchell's experiments do not demon
strate to what length of time serpent
venom may be kept in a dried state and
retain its. yirulence. The active prin-
ciple. (crotaline) may remain active
under favorable conditions for an in
definite length of time, but then the
symptoms would be exhibited in man.
ner strikingly similar to those after a
fresh wound inflicted by the serpent,
which thus far has not been observed.
Prof. f. V. Hayden and Colonel James
Stephenson have both observed the
Blackfeet and Assiniboine Indians pro-
cure the pure serpent venom by caus-
ing a secured snake to bite clean piece
of bark. The arrows were applied di-
rectly to this without the admixture o1
any other substances.-N Y. Herald