464 THE URARI, OR ARROW-POISON OF THE INDIANS. 
himself slightly, and an arrow dipped in the poison is held 
near the wound. If it make the blood return to the vessels, 
although not brought into contact with it, the poison is 
considered to be of sufficient strength. The absurdity of 
such an experiment requires no comment; on the con- 
trary, the experiment of the Indian is sagacious, for 
he believes that the urari has less effect upon cold-blooded 
animals than upon those with warm blood. Its effect is 
more or less sudden upon different animals, and the In- 
dians say that monkeys and jaguars are more easily killed 
with it than any other animal. If it has a sudden effect 
upon a cold-blooded animal, for example, upon a lizard, a 
frog, or a snake, the preparation^ as I have already mentioned, 
is considered excellent, and against such poison the Indians 
say there is no remedy. Salt and sugar are considered anti- 
dotes against w'eak poison, but will avail nothing where the 
poison is strong. It has been related to me, that when 
wounded in w r ars, and salt is not to be had, the Indian resorts 
to urine. The thirst which follows is described as almost 
intolerable, and certain death ensues if the thirst is quenched 
with water, for, the more the wounded person drinks, the 
greater becomes his thirst. This agrees with what Raleigh 
observed in this respect nearly two centuries and a half ago. 
According to the researches of M. Alvaro Reynoso, chlo- 
rine and bromine neutralize the effect of the poison com- 
pletely ; and iodine, azotic acid, and potassa, alter it without 
destroying completely its effect. If this discovery be con- 
firmed by experiments with the best Macusi poison, which I 
do not think M. Reynoso employed, it will be an invaluable 
discovery. 
I have endeavoured in the preceding remarks to give a 
general outline of what was known of the famous arrow- 
poison, when I published my remarks in the c Annals of 
Natural History/ establishing at that time, without contra- 
diction, by my experiments at Fort San Joaquim, that the 
principle which destroys animal life by urari is derived from 
the Strychnos toxifera , and that the poison, prepared by the 
Macusis, which is considered the best and strongest in South 
America, does not contain snakes’ teeth, stinging ants, or 
any other animal substance. 
My brother, Richard Schomburgk, w ho accompanied me 
in my travels during 1840 to 1844, at the command of the 
King of Prussia (the Prussian Goverment having previously 
obtained the permission from Her Britannic Majesty’s 
Government), had in 1842 the opportunity of witnessing 
the preparation of the poison by the same individual who 
