"Having while at Ahmednuggur received from the secretary a small quantity
of Somali arrow poison, alluded to by Mr. Vaughan in his notes on articles
of the Materia Medica, and published in the last volume of the Society's
Transactions, and called 'Wabie,' the following experiments were made with
it:--
"September 17th. 1. A small healthy rabbit was taken, and the skin over
the hip being divided, a piece of the poisonous extract about the size of
a corn of wheat was inserted into the cellular tissue beneath: thirty
minutes afterwards, seems disinclined to move, breathing quicker, passed *
*: one hour, again passed * * * followed by * * *; has eaten a little: one
hour and a half, appears quite to have recovered from his uneasiness, and
has become as lively as before. (This rabbit was made use of three days
afterwards for the third experiment.)
"2. A full-grown rabbit. Some of the poison being dissolved in water a
portion of the solution corresponding to about fifteen grains was injected
into an opening in the peritoneum, so large a quantity being used, in
consequence of the apparent absence of effect in the former case: five
minutes, he appears to be in pain, squeaking occasionally; slight
convulsive retractions of the head and neck begin to take place, passed a
small quantity of * *: ten minutes, the spasms are becoming more frequent,
but are neither violent nor prolonged, respiration scarcely perceptible;
he now fell on his side: twelve minutes, several severe general
convulsions came on, and at the end of another minute he was quite dead,
the pulsation being for the last minute quite imperceptible. The chest was
instantly opened, but there was no movement of the heart whatever.
"September 20th. 3. The rabbit used for the first experiment was taken and
an attempt was made to inject a little filtered solution into the jugular
rein, which failed from the large size of the nozzle of the syringe; a
good deal of blood was lost. A portion of the solution corresponding to
about two grains and a half of the poison was then injected into a small
opening made in the pleura. Nine minutes afterwards: symptoms precisely
resembling those in number two began to appear. Fourteen minutes:
convulsions more violent; fell on his side. Sixteen minutes, died.
"4. A portion of the poison, as much as could be applied, was smeared over
the square iron head of an arrow, and allowed to dry. The arrow was then
shot into the buttock of a goat with sufficient force to carry the head
out of sight; twenty minutes afterwards, no effect whatever having
followed, the arrow was extracted. The poison had become softened and was
wiped completely off two of the sides, and partly off the two other sides.
The animal appeared to suffer very little pain from the wound; he was kept
for a fortnight, and then died, but not apparently from any cause
connected with the wound. In fact he was previously diseased.
Unfortunately the seat of the wound was not then examined, but a few days
previously it appeared to have healed of itself.
