Why were poisonous arrows rarely shot in ancient wars?

I think there are three main reasons why poisonous arrows were rarely shot in ancient wars. First of all, it is difficult and costly to make drugs. Secondly, whether the poison will react with the arrow, and finally, the accuracy and strength of shooting.

1. It is difficult and costly to make poison.

We all know that it is difficult to develop poison, and it is even more difficult to develop a poison suitable for combat. To develop poison, we must first find the raw materials for making drugs in the forest. This step will consume a lot of manpower and material resources, and some people will even lose their lives in the process. After getting these herbs, you have to go through complicated processing procedures step by step, which takes immeasurable time. And if you need poison in the battle, the dose will be very large, and it is difficult to make so many doses of poison. Therefore, the production of poison is painful, costly and uneconomical.

2. Reaction of poison and arrow

In the past, people certainly didn't have the concept of chemical reaction between poison and arrow, but now, the nature of poison may change and it may not be so effective, so it is not suitable for large-scale war because it will not bring enough harm to the enemy. Although they may not know the concept of chemical reaction, they may find that the drug effect is reduced, so they seldom shoot poisonous arrows in ancient wars.

3. Accuracy and intensity of shooting

Since it is a poison sword, the purpose is to poison people, but many people will wear armor on the battlefield, so the penetration of arrows is a problem. Can he shoot through armor and directly into human flesh? This is an unknown problem, so most poison arrows are suitable for unsuspecting people, usually used to kill people, not suitable for the battlefield where everyone has strong defense.