This section is from the book "Recent Materia Medica: Notes On Their Origin And Therapeutics", by F. Harwood Lescher. Also available from Amazon: Recent materia medica.
About 10 different plants go under this name in New Granada.
Bark. Small irregular broken quills, with pale brown fibrous outer, and still paler starchy, pulverulent inner bark.
Therapeutics. At first brought out as a cure for cancer, it fell into disuse, but has lately been used on the Continent as an alterative tonic. Dose, 1 to 3 drachms of the powdered bark or its fluid extract. Inserted in 1882 edition of German Pharmacopoeia, as from Gonolobus Cundurango. Curare; Woorare. Ourari. South America.
First brought to Europe by Waterton. The dark, hard watery extract of several plants, principally Strychnos castelnceana, Cocculus toxiferus, and a poisonous arum "Taya" (some say a pepper). That of British Guiana mainly consists of the inspissated juice of Strychnos toxifera. It is considered, if fresh and active, a remedy for rabies. Dose, 1/10 to 1/4 grain; hypodermic solution, 1 grain in 12 of water, inject 1 to 3 minims
Curarine, C18 H35 N (?), is an alkaloid from the above, distinct from Strychnine, but very poisonous. Its sulphate has been employed instead of Curare, in dose of 1/100 grain.
 
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