EDITORIAL,. 



43 



100 cubic centimeters. This extract was injected intraperitoneally into 

 guinea pigs with the following results : 



Number. 



Weight ot 



guinea 



pig- 



Extract. 



Extract 

 per 100 

 grams 

 guinea 

 pig- 



Remarlis. 



1 



Grams. 

 570 



570 



155 



160 



650 



440 



205 



520 



720 



cc. 

 5.8 



2.75 

 .40 

 .40 



1.3 

 .90 

 .40 

 .70 

 .50 



ec. 

 1 

 .5 

 .25 

 .25 

 .20 

 .20 

 .20 

 .12 

 .12 



Dead in 1 hour. 

 Dead in 20 hours. 

 Dead in 8 hours. 

 Dead in 8 hours. 

 DeadinSOliours. 

 Dead in 27 hours. 

 Dead in 3 hours. 

 Survived. 

 Do. 



2 



3. 



4 



5 



6 



7 - 



8 - -- 



9 





Guinea i^igs 8 and 9 showed almost no effects from the injection, 

 while all the others developed violent S3aiiptoms soon after dose was 

 given. 



These experiments indicate that in 100 grams of bark there is 0.025 

 gram antiarin, as against 3.2 per cent of the giucoside found in the sap 

 of the tree, if we can judge from the physiological experiments. The 

 minimimi fatal dose of this arrow-poison sap was 0.001.56 cubic centi- 

 meter for 100 grams of animal, the calculation being based on a minimum 

 fatal dose of antiarin of 0.00005 gram per 100 grams of animal. 



The symptoms of antiarin poisoning have been well described by 

 Seligmann.- The Antiaris sap loses its poisonous properties on boiling . 

 with dilute acids, being split up into a sugar called by Kiliam ^ antiarose 

 and an indifferent body, antiarol, which seems to be identical with 

 tetraoxybenzol trimethylether." Many animals poisoned with antiarin 

 were watched for twenty-four hours, but none recovered, as is often the 

 case with curare arrow poisoning. 



Other poisoned arrows have been obtained by members of this Bureau 

 from the Tagbanuas at San Antonio Bay near the south end of Palawan. 

 These arrows are used in blow guns and are 32 to 33 centimeters in 

 length, being made of bamboo. Some of the arrows obtained have bone 

 barbs fastened on the bamlioo shaft with hemp fiber. All have a pith 

 top to fit into the cane blow gun. The barb as a rule is 6 centimeters, 

 the shaft 26 centimeters long and 3 to 3.5 millimeters in diameter. 

 The poison is placed on the barb and shaft for a distance usually of 

 about 5 centimeters and the amount of poison on each arrow is from 0.3 

 to 0.5 gram. This arrow poison has a consistency like rublier and it 



'Brit. Med. Journ. (1903), 1, 1129. 

 'Arch. d. Pharm. (1896), 234, 438. 

 'Gviiebe and Siiter, Ann. Ghent. (Licbif/) (1905), 340, 220. 



