Facts About Curare

Curare is a brown, sticky substance extracted from the South American species of plants known as strychnos and chondrodendron. Under appropriate medical care, curare has many uses, including as a muscle relaxant and treatment for mental disorders.

Curare Plant

• The vine which the curare substance comes from is thick and has large heart-shaped leaves, which are smooth on top and fuzzy on the bottom. Small clusters of greenish white flowers and edible, bittersweet oval fruit grow on the vine. The natives use the flowers as vegetables by adding them to soups.

Arrow Poison

• Native South Americans used curare as arrow poison for hunting and during war. Tubocurarine, extracted from various species of plants, is the main substance in curare and causes muscle paralysis by affecting nerve impulses.

Muscle Relaxant

• When used in conjuncture with general anesthesia, curare acts as a muscle relaxant and is useful with surgery, mainly abdominal. The mixture of curare and anesthesia also reduces the risks of any complications a person might have with anesthesia.