Alkaloids in Arrow Poisons

Neuwinger, Hans Dieter

doi:10.1007/978-1-4757-2905-4_3

Cited by 13 publications

(12 citation statements)

References 15 publications

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“…The most commonly used poisons across cultures are extracts from single plants or mixtures of plants (Neuwinger 1996, 1998). South American Indians in the Orinoco Basin use curare, extracted from plants (Loganiaceae: Strychnos L.; Menispermaceae: Chondrodendron Ruiz et Pavón, Sciadotenia Miers (Wintersteiner and Dutcher 1943).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Beetle and plant arrow poisons of the Ju|’hoan and Hai||om San peoples of Namibia (Insecta, Coleoptera, Chrysomelidae; Plantae, Anacardiaceae, Apocynaceae, Burseraceae)

Chaboo¹,

Biesele²,

Hitchcock³

et al. 2016

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The use of archery to hunt appears relatively late in human history. It is poorly understood but the application of poisons to arrows to increase lethality must have occurred shortly after developing bow hunting methods; these early multi-stage transitions represent cognitive shifts in human evolution. This paper is a synthesis of widely-scattered literature in anthropology, entomology, and chemistry, dealing with San (“Bushmen”) arrow poisons. The term San (or Khoisan) covers many indigenous groups using so-called ‘click languages’ in southern Africa. Beetles are used for arrow poison by at least eight San groups and one non-San group. Fieldwork and interviews with Ju|’hoan and Hai||om hunters in Namibia revealed major differences in the nature and preparation of arrow poisons, bow and arrow construction, and poison antidote. Ju|’hoan hunters use leaf-beetle larvae of Diamphidia Gerstaecker and Polyclada Chevrolat (Chrysomelidae: Galerucinae: Alticini) collected from soil around the host plants Commiphora africana (A. Rich.) Engl. and Commiphora angolensis Engl. (Burseracaeae). In the Nyae Nyae area of Namibia, Ju|’hoan hunters use larvae of Diamphidia nigroornata Ståhl. Larvae and adults live above-ground on the plants and eat leaves, but the San collect the underground cocoons to extract the mature larvae. Larval hemolymph is mixed with saliva and applied to arrows. Hai||om hunters boil the milky plant sap of Adenium bohemianum Schinz (Apocynaceae) to reduce it to a thick paste that is applied to their arrows. The socio-cultural, historical, and ecological contexts of the various San groups may determine differences in the sources and preparation of poisons, bow and arrow technology, hunting behaviors, poison potency, and perhaps antidotes.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Beetle and plant arrow poisons of the Ju|’hoan and Hai||om San peoples of Namibia (Insecta, Coleoptera, Chrysomelidae; Plantae, Anacardiaceae, Apocynaceae, Burseraceae)

Chaboo¹,

Biesele²,

Hitchcock³

et al. 2016

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“…Amongst the best-known products is curare, the South American arrow and dart poison of which an overall introduction is given by Krukoff and Moldenke (1938). Curare is a general name for a large group of poisons with muscle paralysis activities (Neuvinger 1998) and several species of Curarea are a source of this type of poison. Curarea candicans [= Chondrodendron candicans (Rich.…”

Section: General Morphologymentioning

confidence: 99%

A taxonomic revision of Curarea Barneby & Krukoff (Menispermaceae)

Ortiz

2018

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A monograph of Curarea, a neotropical genus in the plant family Menispermaceae, is presented. Curarea is distinguished from related genera by the combination of staminate flowers with sepals in two whorls and pistillate flowers with three petals, three carpels and usually elongated carpophores bearing three sessile drupelets. Nine species are recognised, amongst them two new to science, C. gentryana from Ecuador and C. barnebyana, from Ecuador and Peru. Additionally, two new combinations, C. iquitana and C. tomentocarpa, are proposed for distinct taxa recovered in a multivariate analysis of quantitative characters of the broadly distributed and morphologically variable C. toxicofera. The anatomy and morphology of species in the genus is documented, identification key, species descriptions, distribution maps and a preliminary conservation assessment for all accepted species are also provided. Of the nine species recognised here, C. barnebyana is assigned a preliminary status of Vulnerable, C. crassa (known only from the coastal Atlantic Forest in Brazil) and C. gentryana (endemic to western Ecuador) are both assigned a preliminary status of Endangered.

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“…50 H. D. Neuwinger, a toxicologist, more recently has argued that only the peoples of Australia and New Zealand did not use poisons. 51 This perspective is supported by David Jones, who in his monograph, Poison Arrows: North American Indian Hunting and Warfare, identifies 80 tribes that used poison arrows. 52 The available evidence suggests that many, perhaps most, indigenous societies used poison for hunting, fishing, and warfare, but there is too little information available to provide a more precise estimate of the prevalence of such usage.…”

Section: ''Primitive'' Warfarementioning

confidence: 99%

“…I have been unable to review Lewin's study, but Neuwinger found it more satisfactory than Perrot's, perhaps because it gave more emphasis to the toxicology. 51 In contrast, the American microbiologist Ivan C. Hall found Perrot more useful in his studies of poisoned arrows, perhaps because Perrot recognized that some of the ''poisons'' might have relied on pathogens to achieve their fatal effect. There is no comparable English review, although Neuwinger wrote a book-length study of African ethnobiology, which appears to be both comprehensive and up-to-date, although focused more on the biology and toxicology than on military or sociocultural issues.…”

Section: ''Primitive'' Warfarementioning

confidence: 99%

The History of Biological Weapons Use: What We Know and What We Don't

Carus

2015

Health Security

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This article critically reviews the literature on the history of biological warfare, bioterrorism, and biocrimes. The first serious effort to review this entire history, made in 1969, had numerous limitations. In recent decades, several authors have filled many of the gaps in our understanding of the past use of biological agents (including both pathogens and toxins), making it possible to reconstruct that history with greater fidelity than previously possible. Nevertheless, there are numerous remaining gaps, and closer inspection indicates that some supposed uses of biological weapons never took place or are poorly substantiated. Topics requiring additional research are identified.

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Alkaloids in Arrow Poisons

Cited by 13 publications

References 15 publications

Beetle and plant arrow poisons of the Ju|’hoan and Hai||om San peoples of Namibia (Insecta, Coleoptera, Chrysomelidae; Plantae, Anacardiaceae, Apocynaceae, Burseraceae)

Beetle and plant arrow poisons of the Ju|’hoan and Hai||om San peoples of Namibia (Insecta, Coleoptera, Chrysomelidae; Plantae, Anacardiaceae, Apocynaceae, Burseraceae)

A taxonomic revision of Curarea Barneby & Krukoff (Menispermaceae)

The History of Biological Weapons Use: What We Know and What We Don't

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Alkaloids in Arrow Poisons

Cited by 13 publications

References 15 publications

Beetle and plant arrow poisons of the Ju|’hoan and Hai||om San peoples of Namibia (Insecta, Coleoptera, Chrysomelidae; Plantae, Anacardiaceae, Apocynaceae, Burseraceae)

Beetle and plant arrow poisons of the Ju|’hoan and Hai||om San peoples of Namibia (Insecta, Coleoptera, Chrysomelidae; Plantae, Anacardiaceae, Apocynaceae, Burseraceae)

A taxonomic revision of Curarea Barneby &amp; Krukoff (Menispermaceae)

The History of Biological Weapons Use: What We Know and What We Don't

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Product

Resources

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A taxonomic revision of Curarea Barneby & Krukoff (Menispermaceae)