( 341 ) 



^AGE 



PAGE 



C. Effects on the Cerebro-Spinal Nervous System 364 





D. Effects on Skeletal Muscle .... 374 



341 



E. Effects on the Circulation .... 376 





F. Effects on Respiration 407 



349 



G. Summary 408 



351 



Explanation of Plates 409 



XV. — Strophanthus sarmentosus : its Pharmacological Action and its Use as an 

 Arrow-poison. By Sir Thomas R. Fraser, M.D., F.R.SS. L. & E., Professor 

 of Materia Medica in the University of Edinburgh, and Alister T. Mackenzie, 

 M.A., M.B., Ch.B., Carnegie Research Scholar. (With Eleven Plates.) 



(MS. received July 2, 1909. Read May 3, 1909. Issued separately February 8, 1910.) 



CONTENTS. 



Introductory. — Sources of Materials used, Follicles 



and Seeds, Extract, Arrow - poison, 



Poisoned Arrows 



Pharmacological Action — 



A. Lethality or Toxic Power .... 



B. General Effects 



In the course of an endeavour, which was successful only after a number of years, 

 to obtain specimens for the purpose of identifying the species of Strophanthus that 

 produces the smooth seeds which had been chemically and pharmacologically investigated 

 by one of us several years ago, the follicles, flowers and other parts of a number 

 of different species of Strophanthus were obtained from Africa. Among them, 

 S. sarmentosus was represented, and in the course of time a sufficient quantity of seeds 

 of this plant was collected to allow an examination to be undertaken of their chemistry 

 and pharmacology. 



In this communication, a description will be given chiefly of the pharmacological 

 portion of the investigation, with only such brief reference to botanical and chemical 

 facts as may be useful for the identification of the seeds, and of the preparations from 

 them that were used in the experiments. Further, as there has come into our posses- 

 sion much information regarding the use of the seeds of this plant as an arrow-poison, 

 and an unusually complete collection of illustrative specimens, a few statements will 

 also be made on this subject. It has a special interest inasmuch that arrows 

 poisoned with these seeds are used against British troops in the punitive expeditions 

 that are still found to be necessary in Nigeria and other parts of West Africa. 



The first specimens of S. sarmentosus that were obtained consisted of a few 

 follicles from Gambia, in West Africa, sent to one of us in 1893, by Sir Robert 

 Llewelyn, the then Governor of that Colony. From Gambia, also, specimens of 

 flowers as well as of follicles and seeds were received in 1903, collected by Dr Dutton, 

 of the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine. In the same year Sir William 

 Macgregor, K.C.M.G., sent some seeds and flowers from Lagos, of which Colony he 

 was at that time Governor. In 1905, a large number of follicles was received from 

 the Acting-Secretary to the Northern Nigeria Administration, and they were followed, 



TRANS. ROY. SOC. EDIN, VOL. XLVII. PART II. (NO. 15). 52 



