970 DR THOMAS R. FRASER ON STROPHANTHUS HISPID US. 



and dark. Fifteen minutes afterwards, fibrillary twitches were still occurring in the 

 muscles, and active reflex contractions could be obtained by irritating any portion of 

 the skin. 



Arrow F(see Plate II.). — In 1882, Mr Buchanan forwarded from the Shire" district of 

 East Central Africa six poisoned arrow-heads, the poison of which was stated to be derived 

 from a Strophanthus. Unfortunately, the arrows had been packed in a box along with 

 botanical specimens preserved in brine and spirit, and as the jars containing some of the 

 latter had been broken, the arrow-heads were much damaged on their arrival in this 

 country. All the arrow-heads excepting one had the same form as the arrow B. The 

 one of exceptional form is figured in Plate II. fig. F. The portion of the shaft that remains 

 is made of bamboo cane, and the portion of it receiving the arrow-head is gradually thinned 

 to the diameter of the straight portion of the head. This head is a very formidable- 

 looking weapon, on account of the six spikes with points curving downwards, arranged 

 in three tiers of opposite pairs, with which it is armed. It is altogether A\ inches long, 

 the straight spiked portion occupying 2§ inches, and the true head If inch of this length. 

 The latter is only \ an inch wide at its broadest part ; it is lance-shaped, and has two 

 surfaces, each half of which is slightly concave ; and it is not provided with barbs, no 

 doubt because they would be an unnecessary addition to the formidable spikes on the 

 straight portion of the head. The composition or paste which originally contained 

 the poison entirely covers the straight portion of the head and the spikes, and it is also 

 smeared over the lance-shaped head, the encrusting layer having a length of 3 inches. It 

 is now of a dull dark-brown colour, somewhat earthy in structure, easily breaking down 

 to powder, and destitute of bitterness. With solution of potash a doubtful faint yellow 

 was observed in the fluid part, and on heating between 116° and 118° F. with 10 per 

 cent, sulphuric acid no marked change was observed, the colour remaining pale brown. 

 On microscopic examination, it was found to consist of a large quantity of brownish- 

 red particles and granules ; of a few oil globules, pieces of vegetable tissue, and small 

 colourless fragments of crystals ; and of a large number of broken pieces of vegetable 

 hairs, having a close resemblance to those of Strophanthus hispidus. 



Although containing structures apparently derived from Strophanthus seeds, it pro- 

 duced no effect when watery solutions from 0*1 grain, 0'2 grain, and 0*5 grain were 

 administered by subcutaneous injection to frogs. This negative result is no doubt to be 

 explained by the long soaking in spirit and brine to which the arrow-heads had accident- 

 ally been subjected. At the same time, the microscopic examination seems to confirm 

 Mr Buchanan's statement that the arrows had been poisoned with the Kombe poison. 



Arrow G (see Plate II.). — Mr Buchanan has more recently (1885) sent me four entire 

 and uninjured arrows, also obtained from the Shire' district. They all have the form 

 represented in Plate II. fig. G. The total length is 37 inches, and the shaft consists of a 

 stout bamboo cane 29^ inches long and from T 'yth to ^th of an inch in diameter. This 

 shaft is provided with nine feathers, each about 3 inches long, fixed by being inserted into 

 parallel slits in the cane, and also by lashing with tendon at the upper part. The lower 



