1893.] Arrow-Poison of the Wa NyiJca and other Tribes. 159 



was guarded against by carrying on artificial respiration, the pres- 

 sure was little affected, except when a marked fall occurred before 

 death. The inhibitory action of the vagus was found to be retained, 

 and the nerve proved to be intimately concerned in the early slow 

 pulse, because the division of the vagi or the administration of 

 atropine produced an immediate change in the tracing, the pulse 

 becoming rapid and the movements relatively small. The further 

 administration of the active principle restored to only some extent 

 the original character of the tracing. When large doses were ad- 

 ministered, the original slow pulse quickly became rapid and irregu- 

 lar, the blood pressure rose somewhat, and the respiration became 

 disordered. The pressure then rapidly fell, and the cardiac pulsa- 

 tions became slow, intermittent, and feeble, and finally ceased before 

 the pressure was at zero. 



The action upon the circulatory, muscular, and nervous systems, 

 therefore, closely resembles, if it be not identical with, that of 

 strophanthin. 



Note. 



In 1880, an arrow-poison used by the Wa Nyika and Wa Kamba 

 tribes was examined chemically by Gerrard,* and a non-crystalline 

 substance, giving the reaction of a glucoside, was separated, and was 

 found by Ringer* to be a powerful muscle -poison, which caused 

 death by arresting the 'heart in systole. In 1887, Labordef examined 

 some features of the physiological action of a Wa Kamba arrow-poison, 

 obtained from a missionary, M. A. Le Roy, and stated by him to be 

 composed of parts of eight plants. Laborde found that the poison 

 caused death by arresting the respiration and heart, and he came to 

 the conclusion that the primary and predominant action was exer- 

 cised upon the cardio-respiratory centres in the medulla. 



In 1888, MM. Langlois and Varigny]; examined the action of 

 poisoned arrows obtained from the Somali country, and found that 

 the poison caused arrest of respiration and of the heart, which they 

 attributed to paralysis of the medullary centres. 



In the same year, MM. Gley et Rondeau,§ and also M. Gley|| sepa- 

 rately, examined some points in the action of ouabain, the active 

 principle separated by Arnaud from wood believed to be the source 

 of the Somali arrow-poison, and concluded that the effects produced 

 were due essentially to an action upon the medullary centres. Dr. 

 Sailer,^" in 1891, after an extended examination of the actions of 



* 1 Pharm. Journal and Trans.,' 1880-81. p. 835. 



f ' Comptes Rend, de la Soc. de Biol.,' 1887, vol. 4, pp. 52, 370. 



X Ibid., 1888, vol. 5, p. 419. 



§ Ibid., p. 421. 



|| ' Comptes Rendus," 1888, vol. 107, p. 348. 

 f ' Therapeutic Gazette,' 1891, vol. 15, pp. 727, 814. 



