St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1891-06-02
Extraordinary Methods Used by
Many People for Making Arrows


Fatal.
Washington Star.
Tine Use of poisoned arrows IS un-
doubtedly Of very ancient origin" said
Dir. W. j. Hoffman to writer for the
Star. They are believed to have been
employed in Europe in prehistoric
times, and later on, according to Arts
totle, Strabo and Pliny, the Celts and
Gauls envenomed their shafts with the
juice of plant of the genus hellebore.
The ScythianS prepared arrow poison
by mixing serpent venom with the
serum of putrid blood, and other in
stances are recorded In classic lit era
ture of peoples about the Black sea
and in Asia Minor who practiced sim
liar arts.
The Amos Of Japan prepare poison
for spreading upon bamboo or metal ar
row points, to kill game with, small
portion of flesh about the wound being
cut out before the animal is cooked and
eaten. In Java, Borneo, New Guinea,
and other of the East India islands the
same practice obtains to a considerable
extent. The poisoning of arrows pre-
walls extensively in Africa, particularly
on the west coast, in the Gaboon, among
the Somali and with the Bushmen. BY
the BuShmen the juice of a plant is
used, mixed with the pulp of vene-
mons worm.
1.-The best known and most active of
poisonS is the woorara or 'urari of South
America. 1t is chiefly used for the tins
of darts blown from the blowgun, and
the most important ingredient is the
juice of the plant from which sCrych-
nine is obtained, to which is added GER
f.,i, hi. Low
pent venom. In Central America pOiS-
ons are also employed on arrows and
bIowgun darts. The CARDS employed
similarly poison made from the sap of
tree called the 'mancenilleS.' The
antidote was the application to the
wound of what we know as arrow root
1.-THE Serbs of Northwestern Mexico
prepared poison by putting into the
ground a cows liver, rattleSnakes, scor-
pionS, centipedeS and other unpleasant
things, add beating them with a stick.
Into the mixture the arrow points were
dipped. The Apaches and neighboring
tribes were until recently in the habit
of smearing upon their arrows cOmpo-
sition said to consist of decompOsed
deer's liver and rattlesnake venom. In
some instances crushed red ants are also
reported to have been used. A microScop-
ic examination of such a coating upon
arrows obtained from Apaches in 1871
showed the presence of blood and a
crystalline substance that was aDpar-
| emily rattleSnake venom. The venom
of serpentS retains its poisonous proper
ties when dried indefinitely. One in
stance of poisoning by such an arrow
mentioned to me was that of 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 III several places.
1.-The ShoShone and Bannock India ms
tate that the proper way to poison ar
ows, as form erly practiced by them, is
o secure deer and cause it to be bit
| en- by rattlesnake, Immediately
fter which the victim is killed,
nd 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 Clal-
lams. of Puget sound, used to make
arrow-points of copper, which were
! afterward dipped in sea water and per-
| mitted to corrode. | have 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 incarnation, for
the purpose of invoking evil spirits or
demons. In their belief the effects of
poison are due wholly to the presence
in them of malevolent spirits or demons,
which enter the body of the victim and
| DESTROY life.o