The history to about 1850 of the muscle-relaxant poison curare is discussed, 
especially the developments leading to the botanical identification of the 
plants that yield the alkaloidal active principles: Loganiaceae (Strychnos 
species) and Menispermaceae (Abuta, Chondrodendron, and Curarea species). One of 
the earliest encounters with the poison appears to have been during the 
exploration of the Lake Maracaibo region in Colombia by Alonso Pérez de Tolosa 
in 1548. It is pointed out (yet again) that Sir Walter Ralegh did not bring back 
the poison to Europe in 1595 and that it was Keymis who first came across the 
word ourari when exploring the lower reaches of the Orinoco in 1596. Gumilla, La 
Condamine, Ulloa, Veigl, and others gave much additional information about the 
poison during the 18th century. Scientific studies began in the latter part of 
the century when Schreber listed the botanical identities of four of the plant 
components entering into the curare prepared by the Akawai Indians of Surinam. 
As far as is known, none of these people actually saw curare being made. 
Thereafter, progress was rapid. Humboldt and Bonpland were the first trained 
scientists to witness the preparation of the poison, at the very beginning of 
the 19th century. Subsequent exploration by Martius and Spix, Poeppig, Youd, the 
Schomburgk brothers, De Castelnau and Deville, Spruce, and others, up to the 
middle of the century, extended and deepened botanical and ethnological 
knowledge of curare. Study of its physiology started at about that time with the 
classical experiments of Rudolf von Koelliker and Claude Bernard.