904 



SIR THOMAS R. FRASER ON THE 



(I -inch) thick at their crowns. They correspond with and were afterwards shown 

 l>v experiment to be aconite roots, and they were stated to be the chief ingredient 

 of the arrow-poison. 



These several articles were accompanied with a portion, 460 mm. long and from 

 85 to 90 mm. wide, of a large greyish-brown legume, containing six circular flattened 

 seeds, '37 mm. by 12 mm., of a dull brown colour on the flattened surfaces and 

 shining mahogany-brown on the margins. The spermoderm of the seeds is hard and 

 brittle, and the enclosed cotyledons are nearly white, odourless, and tasteless, and arc 

 easily pulverised. This interior, and especially its juice, is stated to be an ingredient 

 of the arrow-poison. I have been informed by Sir George Watt and Mr Ballantink 

 that the seeds are commonly sold in the bazars of India, under the names of " Peela" 

 and " Maturi," for preparing a hair-wash. Sir George Watt has also informed me 

 that the legume is the fruit of Entada scandeus* and this statement was con- 

 firmed by Dr Stapf of Kew, to whom the specimen was submitted. 



The poison removed from the arrows is of a greenish-black colour when reduced 

 to a fine powder. Experiments made with it on several animals are summarised in 

 Tables VII, VIII, IX, and X. 



Table VII. — Poison of Abor Arrows (Mishmi) from Colonel Bailey, R.E., 

 and Captain F. M. Bailey. 



Rats. — Injection under the shin of a flank. 



Date. 







1914. 



July 13 



June 



29 



July 



29 

 7 



June 



26 



n 



25. 



j> 



24 



»> 



23 



') 



22 



Weight 



of 

 Animal. 



Dose 



per 



Kilo. 



Actual 

 Dose. 



187 



00025 



0-0004 r, 



235 



0003 



00007 



24 2 



0-004 



0-00097 



2 Hi 



0-005 



0-001 OS 



205 



0-0065 



0-00128 



200 



0-0125 



0-0025 



200 



0025 



0-005 



L85 



0-05 



0-00925 



2 1 3 



0J 



00213 



Result. 



Recovery in less 

 than 24 hrs. 



Recovery in less 

 than 48 hrs. 



Recovery. 

 Death in less 



than 20 hrs. 

 Death in less 



than 24 hrs. 

 Death in about 



25 mins. 



Death in 1 hour 

 15 mins. 



Death in about 



50 mins. 

 Death in 58 



mins. 



Notes. 



Slight cardiorespiratory dislocation and slight 

 increase in mouth or bronchial secretion. 



Distinct cardio-respiratory dislocation, with very 

 irregular respirations. Motor weakness. Loss 

 of weight. 



Do. do. Slight salivation. 



Do. do. Slight spasms. 



Do. do. Much motor weakness. Some short 



spasms of limbs. 

 Do. do. Great motor weakness. After death, 



heart large and dark, with fibrillary twitches in 



right auricle. Skeletal muscles contract well 



when directly stimulated. 

 Do. do. Cardiac impacts temporarily stronger 



and more frequent than before injection. 



Asphyxial convulsions. After death, as above. 

 Do. do. After death, do., and reflexes abolished 



before motor nerve conductivity. 

 Do. do. After death, do., but faint spontaneous 



twitches occur in ventricle and auricles. 



* Described in Watt's hiciumary of the Economic Products of India, vol. iii, 1890, p. 245. 



