POISON AS A CURE

Hokitika Guardian, 5 March 1932, Page 7

POISON AS A CURE

RARE SUBSTANCE IS SOUGHT, SOUTH AMERICAN SUPPLY. LONDON, Fehn<ary 25.

Two docto s, Professor H. Hartridge and Dr. Ranyard West, of St. Bartholomew’s Hospital, London, are seeking supplies of a rare South American poison, which kills by paralysing, and which, it is hoped, might play a useful part in modem medicine. “Until a few years ago,” Dr West said, “there was no reason to suppose that ‘cuiare,’ as the drug is called, had any uses except as an arrowhead poison in warfare or for killing game.

“It occurred to us that it might be employed to relieve a dog suffering from a certain kind cf fit at the , expense of temporary or partial paralysis. The result- was that • the -dogwas cured of lvis fits and failed to develop paralysis. “It is certain that there are a ntimber of constituents in the drug, and we now want to know which of these is responsible for the curative effect. With the quantities at present available, accurate analysis is not possible. At it js, we haye probably used as much curare in the last six months as the total consumption in .England iri the previous ten years. •'We know the names of ,villages in Brazil, Ecuador, and British -Guinea, where the drug is brewed, and we are endeavouring to find competent observers on the spot who can send in samples of the plants used, and describe the details of the native procedure. In the meantime any supplies which have been retained as curios by private individuals will be most welcome.

“Experiments are now being conducted on human beings, and there is reason to suppose that the drug will prove effective in relieving certain rigid conditions without acting on the brain. I wish to emphasise, however, that the work is in an experimental stage and that until sufficient supplies of the drug have been secured, analysed and tested, it will be quite impossible to estimate its value for therapeutic purposes or to undertake treatment.”