Plantae affines.
Celery is smaller than this plant.
Parsley is also smaller in all its parts.
Alexanders differs from it, as a plant not of so high growth.
Angelica may be mistaken for this, but has a more agreeable scent.
All the water parsneps may be confounded with it: but these are known by
the smallness of the umbels; and they are generally in bloom, so that
this circumstance is a good criterion.
Care should at all times be taken, not to make use of any umbelliferous
plants growing in water, as many of them are, if not altogether
poisonous, very unwholesome.
625. COLCHICUM autumnale. MEADOW-SAFFRON.--Baron Stoerch asserts, that
on cutting the fresh root into slices, the acrid particles emitted from
it irritated the nostrils, fauces, and breast; and that the ends of the
fingers with which it had been held became for a time benumbed; that
even a single grain in a crumb of bread taken internally produced a
burning heat and pain in the stomach and bowels, urgent strangury,
tenesmus, colic pais, cephalalgia, hiccup, &c. From this relation, it
will not appear surprising that we find several instances recorded, in
which the Colchicumproved a fatal poison both to man, and brute animals.
Two boys, after eating this plant, which they found growing in a meadow,
died in great agony. Violent symptoms have been produced by taking the
flowers.
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