The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1894-08-21
CoMMoN POISONOUS PLANTS.


The recent death of FIVE school-boys
At Tarrytown. y. Y. from eating a root
which they supposed TO be sweet flag,
calls attention in very tragic and
painful way to the presence Of poison
Gus plants in our woods and fields.
Just what the root really was ! have
not definitely learned. A medical jour
nal commenting on the case supposes
that it was the very common plant
known as poison ivy or poison oak
Rhus toxicodendronl. My own opin-
ion would be that il was probably either
the water hemlock (Cicuta maculata)
or the American hellebore (Neratrum
viride), both of which are poisonous
plants that grow, like the harmless
sweet flag, in moist localities. But per
haps it is not so important to learn
what plant killed the unfortunate lads
as to remember that the fatal root was
so palatable that the boys ate il eager
". That a root or other vegetable
product may be pleasant TO the taste
and yet contain a deadly poison is a
very important thing to know.
Fortunately not many OF our native
plants possess this very dangerous
combination Of qualities. OF those that
do, perhaps the most dangerous Is the
water hemlock, already mentioned.
This is a rank weed, growing common
" in moist localities. Its tieshy roots
have a pleasant aromatic taste, but are
virulently poisonous. To add to the
danger there is closely-related plant,
called the sweet ciccly, that grows in
similar localities and much resembles
the water hemlock. but which has a
root that IS both palatable and whole
some. Many persons have lost their
lives through mistaking one of these
plants for the other. Another related
plant that grows commonly here, hav-
ing been introduced from Europe, IS
the poison hemlocl1 iconium macuiatal,
the plant that furnished the poison
with which the ancient Greeks killed
their capital criminals. and sometimes,
as in the case of Socrates and Phocion,
their philosophers. These deadly hem
locks belong 10 the same family with
the parsnip. carrot and celery, all three
Of which vegetables are poisonous in
their native state, and have only be-
come wholesome through cultivation.
Even now the parsnip sometimes de
velOps poisonous principles If allowed
to become too old before being pulled.
The hellebOre j. also a common
plant, growing IN boggy places. It IS
q lily Though no one but a bOtanist
would suspect the relationship with
broad plated leaves that clasp the
stem az their base. The poisonous
properties OF this plant were well
known 10 the Indians. who are said 70
have sometimes used II in selecting
their chiefs-the man who could take
most Of the poison with iupunity being
regarded as strongest and best quail
fed 10 lead On account of this tradi-
ton the hellebore i often called In
dian poke. L IS also sometimes called
crow plant" because the early settlers
scattered CORE stepped in a decoction
OF hclIebore over their fields 70 poison
crows.
The aconites are another tribe Of
common and very dangerous plants. 4
few weeks ago = family on Long Island
Oh t-aE ftAa7 va ft-At u
these plants We have several native
species, but none Of these Is as well
known as the monks hood -
which has come 20 rs from Europe-
This plant has 4 historical interest,
as It's poison was used on arrow hesos
IN primitive warfare. and n the exc
eutiOu q criminals ia more civilized
commuuities- In some countries % was
used - poison wol yes. and hence u -
often called VOLS bane.
We are also indebted 20 Esrope for
several Other common plants that are
very poisonous, ia particular, the fox
glove .DlFifaIis purpures,, the dead '
nitatshace AtrGQ4 bel41ou1ss. the
hen bene .Hycs-ysTnus niger and tSe
s.raazo1-uTB dz;Cra strazEons IAe
last nzzed j. . very common roadside
weed. having a large tgb1izr white
flower. i IS commonly called James
town weed. often corrupted % lruEea
weed this same having its orEfa n
an incident - TIRE early A'-'gTy
q Virginia S0-zs soldiers who had
been seut - jamestown - caell
the rebellion 81 Baron sers polsonsd
I.v eating . .s.zd made % yoars sa0ots