I've got something about blade poisoning running around in the back of my memory. I cannot recall it in detail, I know I've got it somewhere in my references, but its years and years since I read it.
What I think is so is this:- concoctions made of various animal and vegetable ingredients were used as a blade soak, probably the principal ingredient was the sap of the upas tree; the sap of the upas tree is used as an arrow poison throughout maritime SE Asia, and I believe in the Malay Peninsula; upas sap acts on the heart and causes heart failure.
I will not vouch for any of this, as it is probably more than 20 years since I read it, and it is a subject that has only very slight interest for me, however, it might be enough to get somebody started on finding out exactly what the real situation is.
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