The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1898-07-16
POISONOUS PLANTS.

II
exposition OF the principal poisonous
plants OF the United States and we
guess . good many people, VIII be snlr-
prised at nnding in the list OF such
plants, the sweet and bsautAful Ills OF
the valley. the puckery wild cherry
lady-slipper. iarkspur. laurel and one
or Two other equally familiar but not.
we should say, generally regarded with
the fear that the familiar poison ivy.
for instance. prompts.
In its researches the department. s
| poison plant expert learns that on ac-
count ofa widespread ignorance there is
annually a considerable loss OF human
and animal life from plant poisoning.
The various species OF water hemlock
(Cicuta) kill number OF children each
year. In the State OF New Jersey two
quadruple cases OF water hemlock poi
soning were reported during the spring
OF 1896. which resulted fatally to two
of the eight individuals affected. The
number OF cattle killed by one species
Of Cicuta in Oregon alone is estimated
TO be over one hundred per annum. The
number OF deaths among cattle which
are attributed TO loco weed is very large,
and to rid itself of this pest the State
OF Colorado paid out nearly 100000 in
bounties between March IA, 1881. and
February ls. 1885. The distress caused
by poison ivy is being constantly ex-
perienced by thousands OF individuals.
Setting aside the criminal uses OF
poisonous plants. there are some other
legal problems connected with them
which are OF general public interest.
The common law OF England holds a
person responsible for damage accru-
ing from the possession and cultivation
OF poisonous plants. In one case. for
example. jury rendered judgment in
favor of a plaintiff whose horse was
poisoned from eating branches of a yew
which hung over the fence from an ad-
joining yard. A similar Judgment for
$500 has recently been rendered by
New York court against the directors
OF a cemetery in a case OF poisoning
due to poison ivy which had been al
lowed to grow within the grounds.
All poisonous plants arc not equally
injurious to all persons. nor TO all
forms OF life. The most familiar IL
of this is TO be found In the
action OF poison ivy. 1t has no appar-
ent external effect upon animals, and
a few OF them, such as the horse. mule,
and goat. eat it's leaves with impunity.
IL acts upon the skin of the majority
Of persons but with varying intensity.
Many people are wholly immune. but
some lose their resistant power In mid
ile life; others have been known to
attain immunity from IL to a very con-
siderable degree. There is similar
variability I'm the effects of poisonous |
plants taken internally.
The pretty lily OF the valley Is, OF |
course. not poisonous to the touch but |
Z children of the miscellaneous chew |
ng habit are tempted to eat II they are |
likely to fare badly The active con-
'tituent in the fair lily is convallama-
in. an extremely poisonous crystalline
with bitter and afterwards
'wcetish taste and n depressing action
IN the heart like that OF the common
'oxglove tDigitalis purpurea). 1t is
ound in all parts of the plant. includ-
ng the flowers. Few cases of poison
ng are attributed TO II. but the plant is
dangerous on account OF the beauty OF
IL flowers. The taste of these. how
'ver, is acrld and bitter. and on this
account there is much less danger OF
hildren eating them. sheep and
,oats, 1t is said. may eat the leaves
With impunity. but other animals re-
use them.
Lady's slippers are poison to many
PERSONS much like poison ivy and the
poisonous character OF this plant has
My recently been discovered. Lark
pur and wilted wild cherry leaves are
olsonous to cattle and children occa-
ionaljy die from eating the kernel of
he wild cherry seed or swallowing the
berry whole The laurel shrub seems
0 be poisonous chiefly to cattle. but
ases have heen reported where chill
rem have suffered by eating the young
Iurel shoots by mistake for winter
reen. Fatalities are also reported
sainst the familiar rhododendron. or
reat laurel. Jinson weed. stinkweed.
Z thorn apple. is also responsible for