Curare, the poison that South American tribesmen would put on the tips of arrows to poison either the game they were hunting or their enemies, is also known as flying death or moonseed as well as other more scientific names. This poison kills the animals but does not infect the meat.
curare shot by native blowpipe, antigoo.com
Where can this poison be found? How does flying death kill? What are the medical uses of curare? How can flying death be used in your writing?
Where Curare is Found
This plant is native to South America. When in the form of a plant, all parts of it are fatal whether injected or applied on top of the skin. Surprisingly, it is harmless when swallowed or when its fumes are breathed. Maybe it would be a good idea to wear gloves when fooling with any of these plants.
Sir Walter Raleigh was one of the early explorers who ran across this poison. In 1595 he wrote about the physical effects of the poison-tipped arrows the South American Indians used on humans and the horrendous agonies those shot with them went through until death finally overtook them.
curare, akbotany.tumblr.com
Reactions
So what happens if a person is injected with curare or if it is applied on top of the skin?
1) paralysis of the muscles, beginning with the eyes and face
2) the paralysis is followed by an inability to swallow or lift the head
3) pulse drops dramatically
4) within seconds, the diaphragm is paralyzed
5) death occurs because of respiratory failure
An autopsy will show an inflamed liver. It has been noted several times that even after breathing stops, the heart continues to beat.
The reaction time is just about immediate. A bird would be dead in just two minutes. The next ten minutes for a small mammal would be excruciating. For a larger mammal, it would take about 20 minutes. What about a person? Well, a person gets the pleasure of experiencing the effects of curare for around thirty or forty minutes before dying.
There are no antidotes or treatments, but if someone is present who will perform artificial respiration on the victim the entire time the poison is active, then there is a chance of recovery with no ill effects.
curare, waynesword.palomar.edu
Medical Uses
This drug can be used in a highly diluted form in medicine. It can be used when the lungs are being worked on. Curare will stop normal breathing so the patient can be put on a respirator. It can also be used to relax the muscles before surgery so the amount of anesthesia needed will be reduced.
Curare is used to relieve spastic paralysis. It is also used to treat fractures or dislocations, and it is used as an anticonvulsant treatment for tetanus.
I don’t know about you, but I think I would request that something else besides curare be used. I really wouldn’t want any amount of this drug, no matter how diluted it is, injected into my body. I did ask my husband if any of this was used on me when I was in the hospital and comatose after my wreck, but he said I was already so relaxed that there was no need for a drug to relax me anymore.
girl writing, etc.usf.edu
Writing Prompts
Death from curare poisoning would be horrifying and painful. Besides knowing that death was pretty much inevitable, the victim would be pretty much awake the entire time, and would be aware of everything that was happening until he was lucky enough to lose consciousness. Even though he would be able to feel the paralysis gradually moving through his body, he would not be able to call out or gesture for help.
Curare is sold by drug companies under many different trade names. So if your fictional killer wanted to use curare as his weapon, then he would need to be in the medical profession and able to buy from these drug companies. Or you could always make your villain a good friend of someone who was able to obtain this poison.
If the intended victim was already in the hospital, it could be injected into an IV. If not, it could be placed in a salve that was used to treat wounds. If the victim had an open wound inside the mouth, it could also be placed in tea or coffee. Curare does have a bitter taste though, so I’m not sure how convincing this would be.
Or you could use this poison in a good way. Show how it is used to save the life of someone.
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