The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1903-04-16
Poison Cowbane.
The press dispatches few days az

three children in Glenwood, Ira, aged
ten and Ross aged eight years, children
of L. Y. Johnson. Two of the children
died or the effect, while ohm aged seven
years, son of Mrs. Amanda kingery, ate
of the root but was not fatally poisoned.
Some of the material was forwarded to
me by Mr.. Irwin j. Erhliman of Glen.
wood. The plant proved to be cowbane
also known as the water hsmlock or
muskrat root or beaver poison, plant
belonging to the carrot family. This
order contains many economic plants
likl the carrots, carroway, celery, pars-
nip, but also many very poisonous
pants like the poison hemlock. FIRE.
quent cases of poisoning have been re-.
ported caused by different members of
this family. Inasmuch as this plant is
frequently met with in various sections
OF the state it seems advisable to des.
cribe ito characteristics. A full account
of this --eed was given in Bulletin No.
% of th ,wa Agricultural Experiment
Station 3 1T this bulletin is out of print.
We sha ggshortly describe it in detail in
a forth t'ming bulletin. Iti.a smooth
marshy perennial, 2 to feet high, with
large compound leaves, the flowers hav-
ing long stalks The flowers are white,
growing in umbels like the carrot. The
stem springs from the thick branching
underground roots that are collected
together in fasciles, something like the
dahlia only very much smaller. On
cutting the root a sharp, pungent odor
is given off which is intensified on boil.
ing. ltis advisable to leave alone all
plants that have thickened roots with
pungent odor that grow in marshes.
Both of the local papers, the Glenwood
Opinion and the Mills County Tribune,
had accounts of the poisoning, the ac
count in the latter being as follows:
Ira aged ten. and Ross aged eight
years, children of I. Y. Johnson, died
last night from eating the roots of a
poisonous water plant that grows n
front of their house on the Keg Creek
flat east of the Ridgeway lumber yard.
A third child-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 children
came into the house showing Mrs. John
son what they had been eating. Not
knowing what it was, she had them spit
it out and throw away what they had in
their hands. They went out to play
again, but in about twenty minutes the
two Johnson boys fell to the ground as
if in tit, soon passing into convulsions.
The Kingery lad was able to walk to his
home, but was soon taken with spasms.
DIR. Hester was called, and by a vomit-
ing process, in few hours had the child
on safe ground.
DR.. Lyon was summoned to the John
son home, getting there at $50. The
little fellows were already in terrible
convulslons and nothing could be done
for them, one dying at 6:45 and the
other at 7:l5.
None of the Genwood doctors or
druggists seem to know the name of the
plant. Specimens may be seen at the
drug store, or the plant itself growing
down by the johnson home. The plant
is apparently biennial or perennial
and is just beginning to grow for this
season, and the tops are now about
three inches high and resemble flag,
as do the bulbs from which they sprout.
The doctors are puzzled oyer the case,
never having had one like it before.
The Johnson fomily came to Glen
wood eight years ago from Cumberland,
Cass county, and have the sympathy of
the community in their sudden bereav.
ment.-Mills County Tribune"
l.. H. PAMMEL, Botanist.