Humboldt 



The Curare Poison 



49 



QUESTIONS 



1 . Mention a few plants which are found 

 both in eastern Asia and eastern North 

 America. 



What parts did glaciation, migration 

 and climate play in developing the 

 peculiar type of vegetational distribu- 

 tion referred to by Asa Gray? 



Alexander Von Humboldt 



The Curare Poison 



Reprinted from Personal narrative of travels 

 to the equinoctial regions of America during 

 the years 1799-1804, Vol. 2. London, Henry 

 B.Bohn, 1852. 



Esmeralda is the most celebrated 

 spot on the Orinoco for the prepara- 

 tion of that active poison, which is em- 

 ployed in war, in the chase, and singu- 

 larly enough, as a remedy for gastric 

 derangements. Tlie poison of the ticu- 

 nas of the Amazon, the upas-tieute of 

 Java, and the curare of Guiana, are the 

 most deleterious substances that are 

 known. The missionaries, Gumilla 

 and Gili, had not been able to pene- 

 trate into the country where the curare 

 is manufactured. Gumilla asserts that 

 "this preparation was enveloped in 

 great mystery; that its principal in- 

 gredient was furnished by a subter- 

 ranean plant with a tuberous root, 

 which never puts forth leaves, and 



which is called specially 'the root' (raiz 

 de si misma); that the venomous ex- 

 halations which arise from the manu- 

 facture are fatal to the lives of the old 

 women who (being otherwise useless) 

 are chosen to watch over this operation; 

 finally, that these vegetable juices are 

 never thought to be sufficiently concen- 

 trated until a few drops produce at a 

 distance a repulsive action on the 

 blood." 



When we arrived at Esmeralda, the 

 greater part of the Indians were re- 

 turning from an excursion which they 

 had made to the east to gather /uvids, 

 or the fruit of the bcrtholletia, and the 

 liana which yields the curare. Their re- 

 turn was celebrated by a festival. The 



