CURARE 



347 



actual physiological effect of curare, or woorali, or 

 oorali, as it is variously called. It is the arrow 

 poison of Guiana. It undoubtedly shows its effects 

 first upon the muscles and their nerves. It kills by 

 arresting respiration, by paralysing the respiratory 

 muscles. It is a powerful poison, and unless 

 respiration is maintained artificially the animal dies 

 asphyxiated. Claude Bernard believed that it did 

 not in any way affect the sensory nerves, and he 

 described in theatrical terms the animal as being 

 unable to stir, but suffering horrible torture. . . . 

 It is pretty certainly known now that Claude Bernard 

 was wrong, and that, though curare acts first upon 

 the motor nerves, it also, though less rapidly, 

 paralyses the sensory nerves, always supposing that 

 by artificial respiration the animal is kept alive long 

 enough for the less rapid effect to be produced. It 

 would be out of place here to give the experimental 

 evidence which satisfies physiologists upon this 

 point. One case only is known to have occurred in 

 which the full influence of curare could be studied 

 upon a human being, and in which at the same time 

 the presence or absence of anaesthetic effect could 

 be noted. The case is reported by Mr Joseph 

 White, late of Nottingham, and a former President 

 of the British Medical Association. A servant-girl 

 accidentally transfixed her arm with a poisoned 

 arrow while dusting a trophy of Indian arms in her 

 master's hall. The arrow was withdrawn within 

 two minutes, and the girl was seen by Mr White 

 half an hour later. She was then collapsed, and 

 was breathing very badly. Artificial respiration 

 was kept up, aided by faradisation. The wound 

 was freely excised along its entire length. Two 

 hours later reaction set in, and the patient gradually 

 recovered. On regaining consciousness, she ex- 



