Evening star., 1937-08-26

In case Socrates spirit has still q
socratical curiosity, the lethal dose he
was condemned to swallow by the stuf-
fed shirtism of ancient Athens was
d-propyl- -piperidine.
This, it has been ascertained, is the
deadly alkaloid contained In the spotted
hemlock-not tree, but common Eu-
ropean weed which now grows extern
sively over most of the Eastern United
States. A closely related American spe-
cies is the cowbane-which cows in the
ancient wisdom of their race will not
nibble.
The devastating illness which fell upon
the 10000 Greeks of his Anabasis, Keno
phon would have been interested to know,
was caused by andromedotoxin. 1t Is a
resinous substance common to plants Of
the heath family the world over. This
is the poisonous constituent Of rhodo-
Of asalias. It is an extremely active
but chemically elusive poison and never
has been satisfactorily isolated. Honey
from the blossoms of plants which con-
tain andromedotoxin in considerable
quantities is very poisonous-and that Is
what Xenophon's Greeks ate.
When the pioneers first pushed their
way across the Appalachians their set
Elements were ravaged by epidemics Of
. fatal disease known as milk sickness.
Farms and villages were abandoned as
terror stricken settlers ned from the
scourge. It was due to tremetol, Z COM
plex- chemical which has been isolated
from three plants-chiefy white snake
root which causes the disease east Of the
Mississippi. When cows eat the snake
root the poison passes into the milk.
The plants disappear with cultivation Of
the soil.
Thus the chemist throws light on his
tory. DR.. James r. Couch, chemist Of
the Bureau Of Animal Industry Of the
Department Of Agriculture in charge Of
the poisonous plants laboratory, provides
the above information In . report just
published In the journal Of Chemical
Education.
The one poisonous plant with which
the public comes generally in contact
owes it, vrulence, DR.. Couch points out,
to substance known ~ urushtol. re-
Gently isolated In Japan. The same
thing has been found In the American
species. Despite its extreme effect when
It comes In contact with the skin It Is
not notably toxic when taken into the
stomach-at least not with animals. Very
similar poisons are found In minute guam
titles In sneezeweed and bitterweed.
Something like urushiol Is probably re-
sponsible, he believes, for the ivylike
effects Of the common snow -on-the-
mountain.
BY far the most virulent plant that
grows In the United States Is one which
h very little known, although 1t has
caused many fatalities, DR.. Couch says.
This u the water hen,lock, or cicula-
very different from the spotted hemlock
whose extract was used to execute Soc
rates. It grows In low, swampy places
nearly sverywhefe. In the Spring when
the ground II soft and It's roots can be
pulled easily from the soil and have An
attractive odor which tempts children to
eat them. It causes heavy losses In live
stock. The water hemlock contains
substance known ~ cicutoxin-allied to
the andromedotoxin on the honey which
Effected the Greeks Of the AnabasiS-
which & an extremely active poison,
causing violent spasms.
Next Ia virulencs Of all American
plants, DR.. Couch points out, u the
whoflsd milkweed which contains q
closely allied resinous material-not yet
satisfactorily analy1sd-known ~ gall
toxin. e u more important than the
water hemlock because It u moro likely
to be eaten. In one area Of Colombo
about @46,000 Of live stock Were killed
BY It In three years before the cause
finally was ascertalned.
Many common plants, Ee. ooGeh sayS,
eontatn dangerous poisc.s IA aatulto