Having thus particularly Discoursed of the Nature of these Two Poisons, I shall not need to insist upon any more out of the Mineral Kingdom.
All of Them bear some Analogy to the former, and are more or less Dangerous, according as their Salts receive a differing Force from the Metallic Particles. For this Reason as we have observed, that the most Virulent may be mitigated by breaking the Points of the Saline Crystals; so on the other Hand, the most Innocent Minerals may become Corrosive, by combining Them with Salts, as we see in the several Preparations of Silver, Antimony, Iron, &c.
Poisonous Plants.
To Proceed therefore to Vegetables; the most Notorious of These for Venomous Juices among the Ancients were Cicuta and Aconitum.
Our Œnanthe Cicutæ facie, succo viroso, which Wepfer has described by the Name of Cicuta Aquatica, and of the dismal Effects of which in some Children, who by mistake did Eat of It, He has wrote a large Volume, was very probably the Cicuta so much in use of old, especially at Athens, for Killing. At least the Violence of This makes It a much fitter Instrument of Death than the common Hemlock, which is not by far of so Malignant a quality.
Tho’ we must withal allow differing Climates very considerably to heighten or abate the Virtues of Plants. And it is not altogether Improbable, that the Poison with which the Athenians took away the Lives of Malefactors was an inspissated Juice compounded of That of Cicuta and other Corrosive Herbs [(143)].
But be this as it will; The Alterations which Wepfer observed the Roots of Œnanthe to make in the Body, were a Violent Pain and Heat in the Stomach, Terrible Convulsions, with the Loss of all the Senses, Distorsion of the Eyes, and flowing of Blood out at the Ears, the Mouth so fast shut that no Art could open It, Efforts to Vomit, but nothing thrown up, frequent Hick-Coughs, with a great Distension and Swelling, especially at the Pit of the Stomach; and when Death had concluded the Tragedy, a continued Running of green Froth at the Mouth.
Stalpart van der Wiel gives Us the like account of Two Persons kill’d at the Hague by the same Roots [(144)].
In a Dog, who for Experiment’s sake died by this Poison, The Stomach when opened was found quite Constringed, and shut up at both Orifices, Its inward Surface red, with livid Spots here and there; The Intestines were empty; only the Rectum contained a little greenish Mucus.
Thus it appears, that this Plant consists of Hot, Acrious and Corrosive Parts, which by Rarefying the Juices of the Stomach, and Wounding Its Nervous Membrane, are the Cause of all those Disorders which do immediately follow.