The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1898-06-27


the mischievous agent is non-volatile
oil, which has been named "toxicoden-
drol." This poisonous oil is found in
all parts of the poisonous sumas leaves, |
wood, roots, fruit and seeds. Like all
oils, 1t Is insoluble in water, and can
not therefore be washed off the skin
with water alone. 1t is readily re-
moved by alcohol, however. A solution
of sugar of lead in fifty per cent. alco-
hol Is an absolute antidote, being
rubbed upon the effected skin several
times in the course Of few days. 1t
stops the itching right away and pre-
vents the further spread of the erup-
ton. OF course, the lead solution must
not be taken internally.
To the carrot family belong several
species of very dangerous plants. one
of these is, the water hemlock, other
wise known as "snake-weed," beaver
poison and "children's bane." 1t is a
shrub from three to eight feet high,
and grows commonly In swamps and
damp soil. Its flowers are white. The
poisonous property resides in an aro-
matte, oily fluid, found chiefly in the
root but also in the stem, seeds and
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poison is not exactly known, but the
plant is one of the most destructive in
existence, it's human victims averaging
large number year. The symptoms
are vomiting, staggering, unconscious
ness and commissions, ending in death.
No antidote is known.
Equally bad is the poison hemlock,
otherwise known as water parsley"
or "stinkweed 1t Is hollow
stemmed biennial, two to seven feet
high, with large parsley -likeleaves and
snowy clusters of small white flowers
which appear in July and August. The
fresh leaves have nauseating taste,
and when bruised emit a mouse-like
odor. This species of hemlock is ma
tive of Europe and ASIA but has been
imported into the United States, and is
rather common in marshes and damp
waste places. The poison is volatile
alkaloid called "conine;" it is found in
the seeds and leaves, as well as in the
root. 1t is almost certain that this was
the plant administered by the Greeks
to Socrates and other state prisoners.
Sometimes the seeds are eaten by mis-
take for anise, the leaves for parsley
or the roots for parsnips. Serious pois-
oning sometimes arises from the blow
ing of whistles made from it's hollow
stem. The symptoms produced are
blindness and paralysis of the lungs,
the mind usually remaining clear until
death.
Among the most poisonous of plants
| native to the United States are various
| laurels. One of these Is the common
| broad-leafed laurel, which is a hand
some shrub from ten to thirty feet high.
Its leaves are thick and shining, and
| it's flowers appear in snowy pink clus-
| tiers. This kind of laurel grows album
dainty on rocky hillsides. It's poison is
peculiar crystalline substance, easily
| dissolved out of the plant by cold wa
| ter, and more dangerous even than
| strychnine. Great numbers of cattle
and sheep are destroyed annually by
eating the shrub and children some
| times mistake the young shoots for
| wintergreen. Occasionally the leaves
are used criminally to increase the in
| toxicating effects of liquors. The
symptoms are persistent nausea, froth-
| ing at the mouth. grating of the teeth,
| dizziness, loss of sight and feeling and
| coma. Among other poisonous laurels
/ may be mentioned the narrow-leafed
laurel, otherwise known as 'lambkill''
| or lamb laurel" 1t Is much like the
broad-leafed plant, but smaller The
so-called "stagger bush" is a species Of
laurel, It's more common name Is 'kill
lamb 1t is a small shrub, with snowy
clusters of tubular white flowers. and is
frequent in low, damp soils along the
| Atlantic coast.
| To the potato family belong the dan
gerous jimson weeds, which are rank,
ill-smelling plants with large funnel
shaped flowers. There are several spe-
cies, most of which have been intro
duced from Europe and tropical Amer
| lea. One of them is known in various
parts of this country as thorn apple :
devils APPLE and mad apple" 1t is
a stout, bushy annual two to five feet
higt, with coarse green stem, big
| leaves, and white, heavy-scented flow
| ers. Another species, called by similar
names, is somewhat taller, with pur-
| plish flowers. In both cases the poisons
are the same-namely, atrepin and n.y.
| oscyamine. Children sometimes eat
| parts of the Unison weed, which is COM
/ mon In waste grounds about dwellings
In August, 1877, at Alpena, Mich. five
children were poisoned by eating the
seeds Of the purple-fowered species
which was cultivated In garden. In
Septemberand October of the same
year there were several cases in New
York.
+. In one instance three children were
playing in one Of the public parks OF
the city. where the weeds grew luxuri-
antly. They ate the seeds, and one OF
them died in wild delirium, another be-
ing saved only after heroic treatment
Children are also poisoned by sucking
the flower, or playing with it in the
mouth. Symptoms are headache, nau-
sea, vertigo, extreme thirst, dilated pu-
pills, loss of sight and sometimes mania
and commissions.
The magistrates are among the most
famous of poisonous plants. They are
shrubs, that bear berries containing
many fiat seeds. One Species the black
nightshade, has dropping clusters OF
small white flowers and black, juicy
berries, which ripen in the late sum-
mer. 1t is common in rich, shaded
grounds and fields. Another species is
sometimes called the "bittersweet." II
is a climbing vine, with purple flowers
and red fruit, frequent along brooks
and bitches. In all Of the magistrates
ootixya y,aicor, &c "a o,,L