poisonarrow

Poisonarrow refers to an arrow whose tip has been coated or tipped with a toxin intended to incapacitate or kill a target. Across many cultures, poison arrows have been used for hunting and warfare, often relying on plant- or animal-derived toxins that act quickly on the nervous system or heart.

A well-known historical example comes from the Amazon basin, where various plantalkaloid preparations—collected from species collectively referred to as curare—were used as arrow poisons. Curare is not a single substance but a family of plant extracts that contain alkaloids capable of blocking neuromuscular transmission, leading to paralysis. In modern medicine, derivatives of curare were developed as neuromuscular blocking agents to facilitate anesthesia.

Other regional traditions employed different toxins. Some African arrow poisons used plant-derived cardiotoxins or cardiac glycosides that can disrupt heart function, while arrow coatings in other areas incorporated venomous animal components. The exact substances and preparation methods varied by culture and local flora and fauna.

The primary effect of many poisonarrow toxins is rapid impairment of movement and/or respiration, making it difficult for a prey or warrior to escape. Lethality often results from paralysis of the muscles responsible for breathing or from cardiac arrest, depending on the toxin and dose.

Today, poison arrows are chiefly discussed in historical, ethnographic, or forensic contexts. They are not used in modern hunting or warfare in most jurisdictions, and medical research has adapted certain curare-related compounds for controlled clinical use.