The use of poisonous plant extracts for weapons has no greater tradition anywhere on earth than in Africa. Research in this area had long been regarded as very difficult due to the almost impenetrable secrecy about this subject passed down through the generations. Poisons are biodynamic substances, since they affect the functioning of the victim's body and so they also are a possible source of medicines. In fact, in the course of the research, it has been proved that most of these plants are equally important medicinal plants. Formerly, poisoned weapons were widely used in war and hunting and in spite of numerous prognostications of their disappearence, they are by no means a thing of the past. In some countries they continue to be utilized, especially for criminal purposes, in tribal warfare and in preventing the depredations of wild animals. On the other hand, the respective cultures are absorbed to an increasing extent by modern urban civilization without other records of their traditions, apart from oral ones. In most cases, only a few ancients know the composition and manufacturing of effective poisons. Neuwinger's book African Ethnobotany: Poisons and Drugs is the result of 25 years of research in the field and in the widely dispersed literature. It is the first work that comprehensively reviews the chemistry, pharmacology and toxicology of this plant group, which provides hunting poisons and drugs. This book will contribute to a better understanding of the complex African poisons and give a basis for further research. For each plant the botany is given followed by numerous names in the various African languages and dialects, the use for arrow poison with its composition and distribution, often with very interesting information on ethnological and cultural aspects, the traditional medicine, detailed chemistry, pharmacology and toxicology as well as numerous literature references. More than 1000 secondary plant products are shown in chemical structures. The numerous African fish poisoning plants are listed in tabular form.