POISONOUS PLANTS 231 



Strophanthus hispidiis, or Kombe, is the West African 

 Gaboon arrow-poison, but no data as to animal poisoning 

 by it' are on record, nor are there such regarding the 

 Madagascar Tanghinia venenifera. 



Oleanders. 



Varieties of the oleanders are very important and well 

 known, especially to tropical toxicology. The Nerium 

 oleander is a commonly cultivated evergreen plant on the 

 continent of Europe, grows out of doors in the Southern 

 and Western United States, is a garden and hedge plant in 

 South Africa, grows wild in Mexico, and is native to Asia. 

 In India Nerium odorum is the sweet-scented oleander, with 

 white or pink flowers (vernacular, Kaner) ; Cerbera thevetia 

 is the bastard, or yellow oleander (vernacular, Pila kaner) ; 

 and Cerbera odallum is closely related to them. 



Active PFineiples. — As above stated, these are glucosides 

 allied to digitalin. From N. odorum there have been 

 separated neriodorin, neriodorein, and hardbin, of which 

 neriodorin and karabin stimulate the vagus and cause a 

 slow, forcible heart-beat, and then, by exhaustion, a rapid 

 feeble action. Karabin also exercises spinal effects like 

 strychnine. Thevetin, from thevetia, resembles digitalis, 

 with sometimes convulsant action. These poisons are 

 found in the sap and leaves of the plants. 



The dose is not large, a single growing top of oleander 

 having been said to be fatal to cattle and horses, whilst 

 men have been fatally poisoned by eating meat cooked on 

 skewers of the wood (Walsh). Three seeds of C. thevetia 

 would probably kill a man, since two have caused dangerous 

 symptoms (Windsor). 



Symptoms. — In the experimental poisoning of animals 

 Cornevin distinguished a phase of stupor, succeeded by 

 convulsions, insensibility, and then paralysis. Vomiting 

 occurs when possible, and the retching continues after the 

 stomach is empty. 



The effects of N, odorum were studied in India, and 



