The Botanist's Companion, Volume II / Or an Introduction to the Knowledge of Practical Botany, and the Uses of Plants. Either Growing Wild in Great Britain, or Cultivated for the Puroses of Agriculture, Medicine, Rural Oeconomy, or the Arts

by William Salisbury

STUPEFYING POISONS.

The substances that deaden the effects of the poisons of this class are vegetable acids, which should be thrown into the stomach in large quantities. After the operation of emetics, cream of tartar is also considered of great use, as also oxymuriatic acid, infusions of nut-gall, oak bark; warm spices are considered also of use, for they may separate some part of the deleterious matter, as is shown by their effect when mixed with decoction of these plants; acerb and astringent wines are also of great use.

632. AETHUSA Cynapium. FOOL'S PARSLEY.—Fool's Parsley seems generally allowed to be a plant which possesses poisonous qualities. Baron Haller has taken a great deal of pains to collect what has been said concerning it, and quotes many authorities to show that this plant has been productive of the most violent symptoms; such as anxiety, hiccough, and a delirium even for the space of three months, stupor, vomiting, convulsions, and death.

Where much parsley is used, the mistress of the house therefore would do well to examine the herbs previous to their being made use of; but the best precaution will be, always to sow that variety called Curled parsley, which cannot be mistaken for this or any other plant. We might also observe, that the scent is strong and disagreeable in the aethusa: but this property, either in the plant or the poison, is not at all times to be trusted in cases of this nature.

Plantae affines.

Parsley. The lobes of the leaves are larger in this plant, and are not quite so deep a green. The leaves of fool's parsley are also finer cleft, and appear to end more in a short point.

Celery, being much larger, cannot easily be confounded with it.

Chervil. Fool's parsley, when young, differs from this plant but very little, being much the same in size, and the laciniae of the leaves of a similar form. Chervil, however, is much lighter in colour, and the flavour more pleasant, both to the taste and smell.

Hemlock is commonly a larger plant; and, exclusive of the generic distinctions, may be generally known by its spotted stalk.

When fool's parsley is in bloom, it is readily known by the length of the involucrum.

633. ATROPA Belladonna. DEADLY NIGHTSHADE.—Some boys and girls perceiving in a garden at Edinburgh the beautiful berries of the deadly nightshade, and unacquainted with their poisonous quality, ate several. In a short time dangerous symptoms appeared; a swelling of the abdomen took place; they became convulsed. The next morning one of them died, and another in the evening of the same day, although all possible care was taken of them.

Another case is related by Dr. Lambert, who was desired to visit two children at Newburn, in Scotland, who the preceding day had swallowed some of the berries of the deadly nightshade. He found them in a deplorable situation. The eldest (ten years of age) was delirious in bed, and affected with convulsive spasms: the younger was not in a much better condition in his mother's arms. The eyes of both the children were particularly affected. The whole circle of the cornea appeared black, the iris being so much dilated as to leave no vestige of the pupil. The tunica conjunctiva much inflamed. These appearances, accompanied with a remarkable kind of staring, exhibited a very affecting scene. The symptoms came on about two hours after they had eaten the berries: they appeared at first as if they had been intoxicated, afterwards lost the power of speaking, and continued the whole night so unruly, that it was with much difficulty they were kept in bed. Neither of these ever recovered.

634. DATURA Stramonium. THORN-APPLE.—The seeds and leaves of the thorn-apple received into the human stomach produce first a vertigo, and afterwards madness. If the quantity is large, and vomiting is not occasioned, it will undoubtedly prove fatal. Boerhaave informs us, that some boys eating some seeds of the thorn-apple which were thrown out of a garden, were seized with giddiness, horrible imaginations, terrors, and delirium. Those that did not soon vomit, died.

635. HYOSCYAMUS niger. HENBANE.—Henbane is a very dangerous poison. The seeds, leaves, and root, received into the human stomach, are all poisonous.

The root in a superior degree produces sometimes madness; and if taken in large quantity, and the stomach does not reject it by vomiting, a stupor and apopleptic symptoms, terminating in death, are the usual consequences.

A case of the bad effects of the roots of this plant, which occurred in Ireland, is mentioned by Dr. Threlkeld. In the winter season, some men working in a garden threw up some roots which were supposed to be Skirrets, and those were cooked for dinner. About two hours after they were eaten, a person who partook of them was taken with an unusual lassitude, as if being much fatigued, heat and dryness both in the mouth an the throat, a giddiness accompanied with dimness of sight, and a partial stoppage in his urine. Several others who had eaten at the same table, as also servants who had partaken, were subjected to the like influence. Medical assistance being at hand, by the use of emetics they were relieved; but it was many days before the whole of them had recovered from those dreadful symptoms.

Two children having both eaten of the berries of this plant, the one a boy (who recovered) being taken ill, vomitted, and was supposed to have thrown them off his stomach: the other, a little girl, died in convulsions the next morning. As mothers and kindred souls do not like names to be made public in these cases, I cannot help feeling some desire to suppress a publicity of a fact in which a near and dear relative was materially interested. In justice, however, to the public, I must mention that I can vouch for the fact, and trust it may not pass without notice, so far as to let the berries be supposed anything but wholesome.

Plantae affines.

The idea of Skirrets being confounded with this plant, is, I think, erroneous, if it has leaves on, as they are not pinnated, and very different from it. When the Hyoscyamus is in bloom, it has curiously-formed flowers of an uncommonly disgusting hue. The scent of this plant, on bruising it, and its general appearance, render it almost impossible that any one should mistake it. The roots, in the winter season, when destitute of leaves, may, however, be mistaken for those of Parsnep, Parsley, Skirret, and many others of similar shape, and of which it is out of our power to give a distinguishing character.

636. LACTUCA virosa. STRONG-SCENTED WILD LETTUCE.—The juice of this plant is a very powerful opiate, and care should be taken how it is made use of. I have not heard of any dangerous effects having been produced by it. The strong and disagreeable scent and bitter nauseous taste will most likely always operate as a preservative to its being used for food; and as a medicine, it is hoped its use will be confined to the judicious hand of a medical botanist.

Plantae affines.

All the kinds of garden lettuce; but it may be distinguished by its spines on the back of the leaves. It may be remarked, that the milky juice of all lettuce has similar properties to the above; but the juice is not milky till such time as the plant produces seed-stalks, and then the taste in general is too nauseous for it to be eaten.

637. SOLANUM Dulcamara. BITTERSWEET.—The berries of this plant have been sometimes eaten by children, and have produced very alarming effects. It is common in hedges, and should be at all times as much extirpated as possible.

638. SOLANUM nigrum. DEADLY NIGHTSHADE.—Webfer has given us an account of some children that were killed in consequence of having eaten the berries of this plant for black currants. And others have spoken of the direful effects of the whole plant so much, that, from the incontestable proofs of its deleterious qualities, persons cannot be too nice in selecting their pot-herbs, particularly those who make a practice of gathering from dunghills and gardens Fat-Hen, &c. as there is some distant similitude betwixt these plants, and their places of growth are the same.—Curtis's Fl. Lond. fasc. 2.

Plantae affines.

All the Chenopodia grow with this plant wild, and are somewhat alike in appearance; but the Solanum may at all times be distinguished by its disagreeable strong scent.

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