Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-02-07
POIsONs FOR ARROWS.
Extraordinary Methods Used by M any PEG
pies for Making Weapons Fatal.

Extraordinary Methods Used by M any Peo-
pies for Making Weapons Fatal.
"The use Of poisoned arrows il undoubtedly
Of very ancient origin" said DR.. W. J. Hof.
man to q writer for The STAR. ''They are be-
lieved to have been employed in Europe in
prehistoric times, and later on, according to
Aristotle, Strabo and Pliny, the Celts and Gauls
envenomed their shafts with the juice of plan,
of the genus hellebore. The Scythians pre-
pared arrow poison by mixing serpent venom
with the serum of putrid blood, and other in
stances are recorded in classic literature OF
peoples about the Black sea and in Asia Minor
who practiced similar arts.
THE Amos Of Japan prepare poison for
spreading upon bamboo or metal arrow points,
to kill game with, q small portion Of flesh about
| the wound being cut out before the animal ID
cooked and eaten. In Java. Borneo. New
Guinea and other of the East India Islands the
same practice obtains to q considerable extent.
| The poisoning of arrows prevails extensively in
| Africa, particularly on the west coast, in the
Gaboon, among the Somali and with the Bush
men. By the Bushmen the juice o. plant is
used, mixed with the pulp Of a venomous worm.
The best known and most active OF arrow
| poisons Is the woorara or 'urari' Of South
America. 1t schieAy used for the tips of darts
blown from the blow gun, and the most i'm
Portant ingredient is the juice of the plant
| from which strychnine is obtained to which is
added certain other vegetable elements and
serpent venom. In Central America poisols
are also employed on arrows and blow-gun
darts. The Caribs employed, similarly. a poi
son made from the sap Of a tree called the
mancenilles.' The antidote the applica-
| ton to the wound of what we know as arrow
root
The Serbs of northwestern Mexico prepared
poison by putting into the ground a cows
liver, ratlesnakes, scorpions, centipedes and
other unpleasant things and beating them with
stick. Into the mixture the arrow points
were dipped. The Apaches and neighboring
tribes were until recently in the habit of smear
ing upon their arrows q composition said to
consist of decomposed deer's liver and rattle
snake venom. In some instances crushed red
ants are also reported to have been used. A
microscopic examination of such a coating
upon arrows obtained from Apaches in 1871
showed the presence of blood and crystalline
| substance that was apparently rattlesnake
venom. The venom OF serpents retains its poi
sonous properties when dried indefinitely. One
instance of poisoning by such an arrow men
toned to me was that of q man whose wound
was a mere scratch on the shoulder blade, but
previous to DEATH which ensued, the flesh of
the mans back fell off, exposing the ribs and
spine in several places.
1.-The Shoshoni and Bannack Indians state
that the proper way to poison arrows as for
merly practiced by them, is to secure a deer
and cause 1t to be bitten by rattlesnake, i'm
mediately after which the victim is killed, and
the meat removed and placed in a hole in the
ground When the mass has become putrid the
arrow points are dipped into it. The Clallams
OF Puget sound used to make arrow points of
copper, which were afterward dipped in sea
water and permitted to corrode. Ihave never
met an Indian who would admit the use of
poisoned arrows in warfare against man. In
nearly all instances when poisons are prepared
by Indians the operation is performed with
more or less ceremony, chanting and incanta-
ton. for the purpose Of invoking evil spirits
or demons. In their belle. the effects of poison
are due wholly to the presence in them of
melevolent spirits or demons. which entec the
body Of the victim and destroy life."