ABSTRACT
The drug Intocostrin was a purified preparation of curare, one of the deadly arrow poisons that were used by South American Indians living in the region of the Orinoco, Essequibo and Amazon river basins. Arrow poisons had been used by many primitive communities since prehistoric times. Curare was an extremely potent poison derived from a climbing plant in the Amazonian jungle. The preparation of the poison was performed in secret by certain Indian tribes, who then supplied their neighbours. The first description of the use of poisoned arrows by South American Indians was contained in a collection of letters entitled De Orbe Novo, published in 1516. The remarkable properties of the arrow poison aroused great interest in the scientific community, and la Condamine’s samples were soon subjected to further investigation. The problem of how curare and similar drugs block the neuromuscular junction has stimulated many distinguished scientists to enter this field of research.
