Observations on the munchi arrow poison

DURING my stay in Cambridge in the summer months of 1904 I had, through the kindness of Professor Langley, an opportuDity of investigating the Munchi arrow poison'. I wish to offer my sincere thanks to Professor Langley and as well to Mr F. Gowland-Hopkins, who never failed in giving his valuable advice on questions of a chemical nature. The Mtinchi arrow poison placed at my disposal was presented to the Physiological Laboratory, Cambridge, by Major Alder Burdon, at the time Assistant Resident, Lower Benue Province, Northern Nigeria. The arrows were taken in action against the Baikorana clan on the river Ome, Marcb, 1900. Major Alder Burdon describes the poison, when freshly prepared, as being nearly always fatal to -man in about half-anhour. As to its method of preparation nothing, so far as I am aware, is known. It was given to me in the form of poisoned arrows. The arrows have a long point with hooks; on this point the poison is plastered in a thick layer. It was easy to remnove the brittle poison layer from the iron point. One gets in this way about 2 grams from each arrow. The substance is brittle, of dark-brown colour and a slightly aromatic odour. It is insoluble both in cold and warm water; insoluble in 7.5/0 NaCl solution, in normal saline solution acidulated with acetic or hydrochloric acid, and in cold 95 0/0 alcohol. It dissolves easily in alkalis, in hot alcohol, and in chloroform. The solutions of the poison show none of the usual alkaloid reactions. It is not precipitated by tannic acid, phosphor-molybdenic acid, gold