ITS ACTIOS ON THE SYSTEM. 
445 
I placed the most active curare in contact with the crural 
nerves of a frog, without perceiving any sensible change in 
measuring the degree of irritability of the organs, by means 
of an arc formed of heterogeneous metals. Galvanic experi- 
ments succeeded upon birds, some minutes alter I had hilled 
them with a poisoned arrow. These observations are not 
uninteresting, when wo recollect that a solution of the upas- 
poison poured upon the sciatic nerve, or insinuated into the 
texture of the nerve, produces also a sensible effect on the 
irritability of tho organs by immediate contact with the 
medullary substance. The danger of the curare, as of most 
of the other strvehnete, (for we continue to believe that the 
mameure belongs to a neighbouring family,) results only from 
the action of the poison on the vascular system. At May- 
pures, a zainbo descended from an Indian and a negro, pre- 
pared for M. Bonpland some of those poisoned arrows, that 
arc shot from blowing-tubes to hill small monkeys or birds. 
He was aman of remarkable muscular strength. Having had 
the imprudence to rub tho curare between his fingers after 
being slightly wounded, he fell on tho ground seized with a 
vertigo, that lasted nearly half an hour. Happily the poison 
was of that diluted kind which is used for very small animals, 
that is for those which it is believed can be recalled to life 
by putting muriate of soda, into the wound. Durmg our 
passage in returning from Esmeralda to Atures, 1 myself 
narrowly escaped ad imminent danger. The curare, having 
imbibed the humiditv of tho air, had become fluid, and was spilt 
from an imperfectly closed jar upon our linen. The person 
who washed the linen had neglected to examine the inside 
of a stockin' 1 ', which was filled wit h curare; and it was only 
on touching'this glutinous matter with my hand, that I was 
warned notto draw on the poisoned stocking. The danger 
was so much the greater, as my feet at that time were 
bleeding from the wounds made by chegoes (Pulex pene- 
trans), which had not been well extirpated. This circum- 
stance may warn travellers of the caution requisite in the 
conveyance of poisons. _ ... , . , . 
An interesting chemical and physiological investigation 
remains to he accomplished in Europe oil the poisons ol tho 
New World, when, by more frequent communications, the 
ourare de bcjuco, the curare de ravz, and the various poisons o! 
