The arrows were used by natives of tropical Africa during the late 19th century for hunting and warfare. The poison on the arrow shaft is from the plant stropanthus, which kills the victim by stopping the heart.
The quiver of poisoned arrows was presented to the Materia Medica Department at St Andrews University by Sir Thomas Fraser who was the then Professor of Materia Medica at the University of Edinburgh. It had been given to him by Sir Frederick Lugard, the first Governor of Nigeria.
Professor Fraser went on to investigate the use of stopanthus as an early drug in the treatment of heart disorders.
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