Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1894-08-09
CONlMONER POISONOUS PLANTS.
some GrowthS for Which People
Should Look out

III ldtFNtOWn, y. Y, from eating u
root which they supposed to hr sweet
/ flag, calls attention in a very tragic
and painful way 10 the prCSeucc OF
poisonous plants In our woods and
fields, Just what the root really was
| have not definitely learned \ mrdi
! cal Journal commenting on the case
SuppoScS that it was the very common
plAut known AS poison ivy or poison
oak (RhuS toNicodcudrom. My own
opinion would be that 1t was more
probably either the water hcmlock
(tlcuta maculata or the American
hclcNorr Neratrum viridel, both OF
which arc poisonous plants that grow,
like the harmless sweet flag, In moist
localities, But perhaps II is not so I'M
portant to learn what plant killed the
unfortunate lads rs to remember that
the fatal root was SO palatahlr that
the boys ate 1t eagerly. That root
or oth"r vegetable product may be
pleasant TO the taste and yet contain
a deadly poison is very important
thing to know
Fortunately not many of our native
plants possess this very dangerous
combination of qualities. or those that
do, perhaps the most dangerous IS the
| water hcmloCk, already mentioned.
This IS rank weed. growing common
ly IN moist localities. Its tlcshy roots
| have pleasant aromatic taste, but
arc viruleutly poisonous. To add to
In Il L. al.
plant, called the sweet ciccly, that
grows in similar localities, and much
resembles the water hemlock, but
which has root that is both palatahle
and wholesome. Many persons have
lost their lives through installing one
of these plants for the other Another
! related plant that now grows com.
monty here, having been introduced
from Europe, Is the poison hcmlock
| (tonium maculata), the plant that fur.
Missed poison with which the ancient
| Greeks killed their capital criminals
and sometimes, rs in the case of
! Socrates and Phocion, their phloso
pliers. These deadly hemlocks belong
to the same family with the parsnip,
carrot and celery, all three OF which
vegetables are poisonous in their ma
| tive state, and have only become
wholesome through cultivation. Even
now the parsnip sometimes develops
poisonous principles If allowed to he,
come too old before being pulled.
The hcllchore is also Il common
| plant, growing in DOGGY places II Is
Il lily Though no one but Il botanSt
would suspect the relationship, with
! broad plated leaves that clasp the
stem at their base The poisonous
properties OF this plant were well
known to the Indians. who are said to
have sometimes used II In selecting
| their chiefs the man who could take
most of the poison with IMMUNITY be.
! ing regarded rs strongest and best
| qualified 10 lead. On account Of this
| tradition the hellpborc Is often called
Indian poke" II Is also sometimes
called "crow plant" because the early
settlers scattered corn stespcd in n
decoctiOn OF hellcbore over their fields
to poison crows.
common and very dangerous plants.
A few weeks ago a family on Long
Island suffered from eating the roots
of one Of these plants We have scv.
eral native species, but meme Of these
is as well known as the monk s hood,
which has come TO us from Europe.
This plant has a historical interest,
as It's poison was used on arrow heads
in primitive warfare. and In the exc.
cution OF criminals in more civilized
communities. In some countries 1t was
used TO poison wolves, and hence II Is
often called VOLTS bane."
We are also indebted to Europe for
several other common plants that are
very poisonous; In particular the fox
glove digitalis purpurcM, the deadly
nightshade (atropa bclladonna), the
ncnbane (hyoscyamus niger, and the
stram0nium (daiura stramonium) The
last,named Is a very common road
side weed having large tubular
white flower 1t Is commonly called
Jamt stown weed, often corrupted 10
"jimsen weed this same having Its
origin In an incident Of the early his
tory Of Virginia. Some soldiers who
had been sent TO jamestown 10 qnell
the rebellion Of Bacon were poisoned
by eating salad made Of young
shoots Of the stramon!um. The dead.
~ nghtshade must not be COMPOUNDED
with our charming lilies called dr0op
ing magistrates 0nliums), which are
plants Of far better repute.
have mentioned only the comm0ner
plants whose poisons are most yirulent.
A long list might be added of plants
IN some degree poisonous but the ef-
fccts Of which are seldom fatal. Per
haps the most common OF all, and
certainly the most generally known
Il the poison Ivy, already referred TO-
which really Is not an Ivy at all, but |
climbing sumac (rhusJ. This plant |
has the unenyiable distinction Of be- |
ing poisonous to the touch. Fortunate
ly 1t does not affect all persons, how.
ever. some being able 70 handle II
with impunity IIarper's Young Poo
plp