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Tribe Related Questions (Again)

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China Doll | 10:38 Wed 26th Sep 2007 | Science
6 Answers
Morning All,

You'll be pleased to know that the series Tribe finished last night so the Wednesday morning questions from me that follow should finally come to an end too, (well from next week anyway!)

There was a tree in it last night that had a poisonous sap, I've never heard of a tree like that before, what was it called? Are there many of them in the world? Why are they poisonous? Also, if they shoot the animals with the poison from the tree, how do they then eat the animals without the poison effecting them?

As a side issue... which mathamatical genius decided it would be a good idea to farm 70% of the land? Even my maths is better than that! Do you think there's anything that can be done to save the peoples way of life or do you think it's a lost cause?

Cheers!
China
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http://www.thefreelibrary.com/Blowpipe+dart+po ison+in+Borneo+and+the+secret+of+its+productio n:+the...-a0166350047

...Antiaris toxicaria tree (Moraceae). This latex contains a variety of toxic chemical compounds. The principal toxic agent is a steroid glycoside known as [beta]-Antiarin. A lethal dose (L50) is only about 0.1 mg. per kg<I/>

So it's actually related to the Mulberry LD50 of .1mg per Kg so 10mg would kill a big man - what's that? raindrop's worth I guess!.

If you remember the Amazonian tribe using curare it's 5 times stronger than that and twice as poisonous as rattlesnake venom. (remember they were worried when they couldn't find a dart? - now you know why!)

Anyway the Amazonian tribe tended to cut out the part where the dart went in but some toxins have a short term effect - couldn't say whether either of those is the case here.

I wouldn't hold out too much hope for their way of life - hunter gatherers need huge territories and where you've got an emerging nation with 27 million people and you can raise large amounts of cash by felling lumber and farming palm-oil you're going to look at a tribe like that and wonder how many hospitals and schools you could get for that land.

I'd imagine the Malaysian Government looks on them a bit like ours looks on new age travellers sitting up trees to stop bypasses being built.

Lot of tough decisions running a country

Question Author
You made my eyes go funny!

Good answer though, thank you!

Don't know what I'm going to do with myself on Tuesdays now!
Yeah sorry about that mistyped the close Italics thing.

- do you mind if I quote you out of context ?
Question Author
No, not at all. Why?

I did steal your cute face afterall. It could be payback.
Leaves to post in B&S

"I made China's eyes go funny!" :c)
Question Author
LMAO!

Feel free... :c)

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