623. CHELIDONIUM majus. CELANDINE.--The yellow juice of this plant is
extremely acrid and narcotic. It is not at all like any plant used for
culinary purposes, and therefore there is not any great danger likely to
arise from its being confounded with any useful vegetable.
624. CICUTA virosa. COWBANE.--Two boys and six girls, who found some
roots of this plant in a water-meadow, ate of them. The two boys were
soon seized with pain of the pericardia, loss of speech, abolition of
all the senses, and terrible convulsions. The mouth closely shut, so
that it could not be opened by any means. Blood was forced from the
ears, and the eyes were horribly distorted.
Both the boys died in half an hour from the first accession of the
symptoms.
The six girls, who had taken a smaller quantity of the roots than the
boys, were likewise seized with epileptic symptoms; but in the interval
of the paroxysms, some Venice-treacle dissolved in vinegar was given to
them; in consequence of which they vomited, and recovered: but one of
them had a very narrow escape for her life. She lay nine hours with her
hands and feet outstretched, and cold: all this time she had a
cadaverous countenance, and her respiration could scarcely be perceived.
When she recovered, she complained a long time of a pain in her stomach,
and was unable to eat any food, her tongue being much wounded by her
teeth in the convulsive fits.
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