Some Vegetables again, which prove Poison to Man, serve for Food to other Animals. Thus, says that learned Gentleman, Mandragora and Jusquiamnus that feed Hogs, kill Man.
HEMLOCK, that is hurtful to Man, is wholesome for Goats; yea, the Cassavi Plant poisons unprepared; but prepared, is the very Bread of the West-Indians, particularly Jamaica and the hotter Parts, with which they victual Ships. Ibid. Tea is said to be poisonous before it is cured.
This perhaps may serve to obviate an Objection made against the Goodness of the Deity, in planting a Tree in Paradise that had such malignant Influences; because, supposing that it had any Properties, which might tend to the Dissolution of the human System, yet the same Tree might be very salutary and useful to other Beings in the Creation.
Having divided Poison into Three Parts, I shall, in the next Place consider them distinctly.
I. This Contrivance of Divine Wisdom is so universal, that we find, in the vegetable Kingdom, something more than what is merely analogous to Poison, both in Land and Water-Plants; as the Napellus, Cassivi, Nux Vomica, Aconite, Cicuta Aquatica, Solanum Lethale, Aconitum Hyemale. Some Poisons are of a Narcotic Quality, as Poppy and Henbane—being taken in too great a Quantity, become poisonous. I shall only add some Instances of Persons kill’d by eating poisonous Plants, Roots, and Herbs. The Wife of W. Matthews, near Salop, who having gathered a Quantity of Dog-Mercury, which she took to be another Herb, boiled it for their Supper, which very sensibly affected the whole Family. One of the Children slept from Thursday Night till Monday Evening, then just opened her Eyes, and died immediately. The other two Children slept about 24 Hours, and, upon their awakening, fell a vomiting and purging, which, ’tis thought, saved their Lives[[34]]. A certain Woman near Kilkenny in Ireland, eating by mistake, a Hemlock-Root among Parsnips, was immediately seized with a Raving and Madness. Ibid.
[34]. Lowthorp’s Abridg. Vol. II.
Eight young Lads went a fishing to a Brook near Clonmel in Ireland, and there meeting with a great Parcel of Oenanthe Aquatica succo viroso, they mistook the Roots of it for Sium Aquaticum Roots, and did eat heartily of them. About four or five hours after coming home, the eldest of them, on a sudden, fell down backwards, and lay kicking and sprawling on the Ground, foaming at the Mouth; soon after, four more were seized the same way, and they all died before Morning: not one of them having spoken a Word from the Moment in which the venenate Particles surprised the Genus nervosum[[35]]. Of the other three, one ran stark-mad, but recovered; another had his Hair and Nails fallen off; the third alone escaped: perhaps it might be owing to a strong Constitution, and eating less of that fatal Root; or perhaps it might be attributed to his speedy running above two Miles home (after he saw one young Man fall) together with his drinking a very large Draught of warm Milk from the Cow, in his midway, and a violent Sweating, which might expel many of those venemous Particles. Ibid.
[35]. Ibid. p. 641.
An Experiment has been made upon a Dog, by giving him the Nux Vomica, which soon poisoned him. The American Physick Nut is said to be so poisonous, that no Animals make a near Approach to it. Wormwood in Persia is so venemous, that if Horses, or any other Creatures, eat thereof, they die immediately; upon which account, say the Duke of Holstein’s Ambassadors, we durst not unbit that day[[36]]. The Indians have what they call Juico Juice among them, which deprives such as drink of it of their Reason, and renders them perfect Idiots; tho’ at the same time it leaves them in the perfect Enjoyment of their Health and natural Powers.
[36]. Their Voyages and Travels to Muscovy and Persia, p. 228. A. D. 1637.