[Freddy1]

So how extensive was the use of poisons in ancient China in warfare (if used at all)?
eg poison arrows, knives, swords, spears etc
(I heard of Joseph Needham mentioning used of poisoned powdered bombs in siege & battlefield warfare only.)

What were some of the known poisons?

This post has been edited by General_Zhaoyun: 24 May 2009 - 09:48 PM
Reason for edit: Edit the title to make it more appropriate

[General_Zhaoyun]

Freddy1, on May 24 2009, 08:26 AM, said:

So how extensive was the use of poisons in ancient China in warfare (if used at all)?
eg poison arrows, knives, swords, spears etc
(I heard of Joseph Needham mentioning used of poisoned powdered bombs in siege & battlefield warfare only.)

What were some of the known poisons?

I think the most common Chinese military poisons (used on arrows) was known as "Wu Tou 乌头" in Chinese. The English medical/chemical term for it is called "Acronite" (Aconitum carmichaeli Debx).

During 3 kingdoms period, Guan Yu was poisoned by the arrow. The poison was Acronite. Hua Tuo, the Chinese physician, helped to treat this poison.


Acronite

The symptons of being poisoned are: vomiting, diarrhoea, coma, limb numbness, difficulty in breathing, drop in blood pressure and pulse-beating, non-random heart beating

The poison can be applied on any chinese weapons and firearms.

[Freddy1]

I heard some Europeans also used acronite in thier arrows (I dont know how accurate this is and from which European).