962 DR THOMAS R. FRASER ON STROPHANTHUS HISPIDUS. 



Acting-Consul in the Nyassa district, and formerly associated with the Blantyre Mission 

 of the Church of Scotland. In a letter, dated 8th May 1885, he informs me that "the 

 Strophanthus plant is widely known amongst the natives at Blantyre and the surrounding 

 districts as the most powerful poison they have. It is called ' Kombe' by the Manganja 

 and ' Likombe ' by the Wayao tribes. I hardly think it is to be found in large quantities. 

 At the chiefs village a small quantity may generally be got, for a parcel is always kept 

 in the chiefs verandah in case of emergency, along with a number of poisoned arrows, 

 ready to be used against an enemy. Formerly, game was often killed by arrows poisoned 

 with Strophanthus. The flesh round the wound was cut out and thrown away, and the 



remainder eaten, but the precaution was always taken to boil the meat In 



preserving the Strophanthus, the follicles are taken from the plant before they are 

 quite ripe, and the outer covering is scraped off. A number of follicles are tied together 

 with palm leaves, so that they may not open when put out to dry in the sun. So far as 

 I am aware, only the seeds are used." 



In a letter, dated 28th June 1881, Mr Buchanan thus describes the method followed 

 in preparing the poison for arrows : — " A man breaks a follicle, and puts the seeds with 

 wool attached into a pot. He then takes a small piece of bamboo, which has two thin 

 splints inserted crosswise in the end, and he revolves this speedily by rubbing it between 

 his hands. The seeds are thus put into motion and fall to the bottom of the pot, and the 

 wool rises and comes out at the top, and is carried away by the least breath of wind. 

 The seeds are then put into a small mortar and pounded into a paste, which is then ready 

 for use. It is common to mix the milky juice of a Euphorbia with it to make it stick 

 on the arrow. * .... Poisoned arrows are used in their wars with deadly effect." 



During his residence in the Gaboon district of West Africa, Dr Vincent found that 

 the Pahouins or Fans, a warlike tribe inhabiting the banks of the rivers falling into the 

 estuary of the Gaboon, employ a kind of cross-bow with which they shoot small bamboo 

 arrows that are smeared at one end with a poison called "Inee" or " Onaye." This 

 poison was subsequently discovered to be derived from the fruit of a Strophanthus.t 



M. Ehrmann, a merchant of Tchimbie, in the Gaboon country, states that while 

 the Pahouins or Fans, inhabitants of the interior, term the arrow poison " Inee," 

 the Gabonais, inhabitants of the coast, term it " Onaie." The poison is prepared by 

 drying the pod, removing and pounding the seeds, and forming a paste with water. This 

 paste is used to smear arrows, and also small pieces of iron which are discharged from 

 firearms. M. Ehrmann further states that the inhabitants of the West Coast have 

 largely replaced their bows and arrows by firearms, and that therefore the arrow-poison 

 is now chiefly used by the inhabitants of the interior.J 



* In a letter to Messrs Burroughs and Wellcome of London, of later date than the above, Mr Buchanan states that 

 the paste for the arrows is made by mixing the pounded seeds with water, and, to confer adhesiveness, with the juice 

 from the bark of a species of Liliacese. He also states that before the flesh of an animal killed with poisoned arrows is 

 eaten, the sap from the bark of the Baobab tree is put into the wound made by the arrow, as it is believed to neutralise 

 any poison that may remain in the wound. 



t Archives de Physiologie normale et pathologique, tome iv., 1871-72, p. 524. 



X Bulletin Qe'ne'ral de TMrapeutique, tome cxiii., 1887, p. 529. 



