280 VEGETABLE POISONS. 



The bohan is a large tree, which this writer considers a new genus : 

 the other plant, yielding an equally powerful poison, is of the wood 

 bine genus. The upas, or poisonous juice, is extracted by an inci- 

 sion in the bark with a knife, and carefully collected and preserved 

 by the natives to be used in their wars. As to its diffusing noxious 

 effluvia in the atmosphere, and destroying all vegetation around it, 

 the absurdity of these stories is best exposed by the fact, that the 

 climbing species requires the support of oJher plants to attain its 

 usual growth. Dr. Delille made several experiments with the upas 

 on dogs and cats. An incision was made in the thigh of a dog, 

 and eight grains of upas dropped into it : shortly after the dog 

 began to vomit, and continued vomiting at intervals, till he became 

 convulsed, the muscles of his head greatly distorted, and he died 

 in twenty minutes. Six grains were put into the thigh of another 

 dog, which also vomited first his undigested food, next a white 

 foam, and died, contracted and convulsed, in fifteen minutes. A 

 cat was also treated in like manner ; but she was still sooner and 

 more convulsed, and her muscles contracted : she continued leap- 

 ing up for a few minutes, and fell down dead. All these animals 

 died crying and in great agony. After repeating a number of ex- 

 periments on the deleterious and prompt effects of this powerful 

 poison, when applied externally, the author gave a grain and a half 

 to a dog, which he took into his stomach, but it only produced a 

 slight purging. To another four grains were giveu, which in about 

 four hours produced both vomiting and purging, and the dog died 

 in the course of half a day. On examining the bodies of these 

 animals after death, no very extraordinary appearances were disco* 

 vered ; the ventricles of the heart were full of blood, and some 

 slight traces of inflammation appeared in the stomach ; but the 

 derangement was not so great as might have been expected from 

 such a violent and sudden death. From this circumstance, the 

 author concluded that the absorbents had transmitted the poison 

 to the nerves of the stomach, and that this peculiar vegetable poi- 

 son acts exclusively on the nerves. 



Messrs. Majendie and Delille have communicated to the class 

 their experiments made on animals by means of the matter with 

 which the natives of the Isles of Java and of Borneo poison their 

 arrows. 



