Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-05-18
POISON PLANTS.
Discoveries About Some Which Have
Been Unsupported Hitherto.

Discoveries About Some Which Have
Been Unsupported Hitherto.
The fatal adventure that befell some boys
the other day who chewed certain parts of
plants which they thought were dande-
lions was an incident of kind most unfor-
tunately common. Only two years ago five
school children at Tarrytown, NY, lost
their lives through incautiously eating
some roots which they took for sweet flag.
In the latter case it was ascertained by
Mr.. Coville, botanist of the Department of
Agriculture, that the root in question be-
longed to the common elder, which previ-
ously had not been suspected of being
dangerous.
The Department of Agriculture, writer
for The Star is informed, has begun an
investigation of the poisonous plants of
the United States. which is to have special
reference to the chemical and other char
acteristics of such of them as are least
known. The division of botany, under Mr..
Coville, will try incidentally to separate the
active principles of the poisons of these
plants and to find out to what uses they
may be applied in medicine. 1t is hoped
that in this manner some new and valuable
remedies may be discovered. The poisons
VIII be tried on guinea pigs and other ami
mails for experimental purposes.
One very important group of poisonous
plants, concerning the toxic properties of
which very little has been known until re-
Gently, Includes certain laurels and rhodo-
dendrons. In 1880 many cases of poisoning
occurred in Philadelphia, which were traced
to certain honey and to the eating of the
flesh of ruffed grouse. It was proved that
the grouse had fed on the buds of the
broad-leaved laurel. and it was more than
suspected that the honey was derived by
bees from the blossoms of the same tree.
Several deaths occurred at this time from
the cause mentioned so that the sale of
ruffed grouse was prohibited in the mar
ketS of the Quaker city.
Recently the broad-leaved laurel has been
analyZed by Dutch scientist named Plugge
and by an American named Lasche, who
nave obtained from it the same poison as
that which characteriZes the rhododendron
of the Black sea. From this rhododendron
comes the honey which is called by the
Persians deli kali or mad honey" The
honey of the region of the Black sea has
been known for thousands of years as pos
sessing toxic properties. 1t is found chiefly
in Trebizond, and is used there for medi-
cine and also to increase the intoxicating
effects of liquor. For the latter purpose it
is sold In Constantinople. In large quaint
ties 1t Is very dangerous.
During the historic retreat of the ten
thousand. of which Xenophon wrote. the
soldiers encamped in Trebizond and found
wild honey in abundance They partook
of it freely. and it made them very sick.
Even dogs that ate it suffered from severe
symptoms. The rhododendron sus-
pected at the time of being at the bottom
OF the mischief. Plugge has made a gen.
eral and comprehensive investigation of
this group of "ericaceous' plants, which
includes the laurels and rhododendrons.
and he finds that half of them are poison
Gus. Lambs and young cattle eat them in
winter for lack of other green food and
died The so-caled "lambkill' is one of the
iaurels. The trailing arbutus is of the
same family, but is not poisonous. Poison
is found in the broad-leaved laurel the
narrow-leaved laurel and also in the noun
tain laurel, which is large-leaved rhodo-
dsndron
Deer feed on these plants with impunty,
and likewise the ruffed grouse. Thus 1t
comes about that the flesh of ruffed grouse
often posons people. Dogs fed on the in
testines of deer that have eaten the plants
are poisoned. The toxic agent acts upon
the respiratory centers, interfering with
the breathing, and in severe cases stopping
ii altogether. No antidota is known. 1t is
only possible to try and control the symp-
toms. a smudge made of the leaves of the
mountain laurel, for the purpose of keeping
Oft insects,has been known to cause poison
ing.