SOURCE AND ACTION OF WOORARA POISON. 45 7 
As regarded the natural source, the colonists of Demerara 
believed a chief active ingredient to be the poison of snakes ; 
and two American writers had lately advocated the same 
opinion. The physiological action, as generally described, 
agreed with that view. Professor Taylor, however, alleged, 
that the poison undoubtedly contained strychnia ; and 
Schomburgh thought he had traced it to a plant called the 
Strychnos toxifera, and mentions two experiments in which 
the extract had proved fatal, but without describing the 
symptoms. The author had tried on animals the seed and 
extracts of the bark and wood, prepared from specimens 
obtained at public institutions, but found no effect from 
them. The specimens of the wood, however, had not been 
authenticated by the authorities. Experiments were then 
described to show that the effects of Woorara are the opposite 
to those of strychnia. It was the common belief, also, that 
woorara might be swallowed with impunity; and Sir B. 
Brodie quoted Fontana to this purport; but the latter had 
found it fatal when given internally, though a larger quantity 
was necessary than if applied to a wound, and the author’s 
experiments confirmed this result. Applied to the bowel, the 
poison did not immediately cause paralysis, but local con- 
striction, like the other dynamic poisons; while in the 
author’s experience all had a preliminary irritant effect, what- 
ever the nature of their specific action. Introduced beneath 
the skin of the frog’s leg, it paralysed the limb, like opium and 
the other poisons mentioned in the author’s previous publi- 
cation. The paper concludes with the following summary : — 
1 . The term ee Woorara ” appears to have been longer 
distinctly employed to designate the Indian arrow-poison 
than any of the other names, except, perhaps, “curara,” 
with the origin of which the author is not acquainted. 
2. Woorara has a generic meaning like opium, sarsaparilla, 
&c. ; while “ticunas” is only the proper name of one of the 
native tribes which prepare the poison. Ticunas, however, 
in common with “ macusi” and other Indian names, may be 
used specifically to distinguish particular manufactures, 
according to the practice with other drugs. 
3. The physiological action of woorara is opposed to the 
view that it owes its chief ingredient to a plant of the genus 
Strychnos . 
4. In order to determine the point as to whether or not 
the poison is derived from the Strychnos Toxifera , it is 
necessary to obtain authentic specimens of the bark and 
wood in sufficient quantity to enable the question to be 
thoroughly investigated. 
