Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1903-04-06
Professor Pammel Analyses
Plant That Caused Two
Deaths at Glenwood
WEED KNOWN AS THE cowsANE
Belongs to the Same Order as Carrot
and Parsnip-Advises People to
Leave Plants With the Same Char
aeteristies Alone, Unless Sure of
Their Properties.
pecial to Times-Republican.

Incl, botanist at the Iowa experiment
|station, has issued a bulletin dealing
with the analysis of the poisonous plan,
which caused two deaths recently al
fleetwood. In his bulletin Professor
/ Pammel says:
The press dispatches s.sfew days ago
gave an account Of the poisoning of
three children in Glenwood-Ira, aged
10. and Ross, aged years-children Of
L. Y. Johnson. Two Of the children
died from the effect, while John, aged
I years, son of Mrs. Amanda Kingsry,
ate Of the root, but was not fatally poi-
soned. Some of the material was for
warded to me by Mr.. Irwin j. Erhii-
man. OF Cilenwood. The plant proved to
be cowbane, also known. as the water
hen,lick CIR mtskrat root or beaver poi
son, a plant belonging to the carrot
family This order contains many eco
nomic plants like the carrot, carroway,
celery ana parsnip, but also many very
poisonous plants like the poison hem
lock. Frequent cases OF poisoning have
been reported caused by different mem-
bers of this family. Inasmuch as this
plant is frequently met with In various
sections OF the state 1T seems advisa-
BILE to describe It's characteristics. A
full account of this weed was
given in Bulletin No. % of
the Iowa agricultural experimental
station, but this bulletin is out Of print.
We shall shortly describe it in detail in
q forthcoming bulletin. IT is smooth,
marshy perennial two to five feet high,
with large compound leaves, the leaves
white, growing In umbeis like the car
rot. The stem springs from the thick
branching underground roots that are
collected together in. eascicles, some
thing like the dahlia, orly very much
smaller. On cutting the root a sharp.
pngent odor is given off which is In
tensifted on boiling. 1t is advisable to
leave alone all plants that have thick
ened roots with a pungent odor that
grow in marshes. Both Of the local pa
pers, the Glenwood Opinion and the
Mills County Tribune, had accounts of
the poisoning. the account in the latter
being as follows:
Ira aged ten and Ross aged eight.
children of T.. Y. Johnson, died last
night from eating the roots of pois-
onous water plant that grows In front |
of their house on the Keg Creek fiat,
east of the Ridgeway lumber yard. A
third chi!d-John-the seven year old
son OF Mrs. Amanda Kingery, also ate
of the root, but it seems was not made
SO sick as the others
Shortly before six o'clock the chill
dren came into the house showing Mrs.
Johnson what they had been eating.
Not knowing what 1t was she had them
spit 1t ont and throw away what they
had In their hands. They went out to
play again. but in about twenty min
utes the two johnson boys fell to the
ground as IL in a fit, soon passing into
coHvulsions. The Kingery lad was
able to walk to his home. but was soon
taken with spasms. DR.. Hester was
called and by a vomiting process, in a
few hours had the child on safe ground.
DIR. Lyon was summoned to the
Johnson home getting there at $3.50.
The little fellows were already In ter
rible commissions and nothing could be |
done for them, one dying at Gas and
the other at 7:15.
None OF the Glenwood doctors or
druggists seemed to know the name OF
the plant. Specimens may be seen at
the drug store, or the plant itself grow
ing down by the Johnson home. The
plant is apparently biennial or peren-
NAL and is just beginning to grow for
this season, and the tops. now abou!
three inches high, resemble flag. as do
also the bulbs from which they sprout.
The doctors are puzzled over the case,
never having had one like it before.
The Johnson family came to Glen
wood eight years ago, from Cumber-
land, Cass county, and have the SYM
pathy Of the community in their sud-
den bereavement"