( 146 ) 
poifonous potion of the Greeks was compofed, cannot poffibly be 
afcertained. | 
The root has a {trong fmell, and a warm fomewhgt acrid tafte; by . 
diftillation with water it yields a volatile matter, which is of a narcotic 
quality, and of a very ungrateful odour. 
It appears from Bergius, that. Water-Hemlock, in its dried ftate, 
may be taken in a confiderable quantity without producing any bad 
effect ;* but of the fatal effects of its root when frefh, numerous 
inflances are recorded. Of two boys and fix girls, who ate of this 
root for that of parfnep, the greater part-died in a fhort time after- 
wards, thofe only efcaping who were enabled to difcharge it by 
vomiting. The fymptoms it produced were intoxication, vertigo, 
great heat and pain in the ftomach, convulfions, and even epilepfy, 
diftortions of the eyes, vomiting or retching, a difcharge of blood 
from the ears, {welling of the abdomen, hiccup, fpafms, &c.° In the 
cafe of a man who had eaten of this poifonous root, we are told the 
fymptoms were vertigo, fucceeded by delirium, with conftant heat 
at the ftomach, and inextinguifhable thirft: thefe fymptoms were of 
ae | | continuance, and followed by an eryfipelatous tumour of the 
fieck. | Pe 3 ; : 
To cite all the inftances related of the deleterious effects of this 
root would be unneceffary, as thofe here ftated from Wepfer will 
fufficiently fhow the train of fymptoms which ufually follow the 
_ taking of this poifon. It may be obferved however that in moft of 
the cafes in which it proved fatal, the patients died in a convulfed or 
epileptic ftate, and that whenever the root was rejected by vomiting, 
only a flight degree of ftupefaction was for a few hours experienced.° 
+ Recentem cicutam nunquam adhibui; pilulas vero e fucco cicute expreffo & in- 
fpiffato, cum pulvere foliorum formatas, dedi foeminz,. cancro vero mammarum labo- 
ranti, incipiendo a parca dofi, fenfim adfcendendo ad dracm. 3. quotidie; fed nullum’ 
effectum inde fenfit, neque bonum, nec malum, Prefcripfi famulo cuidam decoét. 
faturat. herbe cicutze ficcatze libr. 4- quod -externe adhiberet, fed per errorem intra 
binas horas totam ebibit lagunculam, abfque ullo tamen infequente damno.” Vide l¢e 
» Wopfer. he * See Eph. Nat. Cur. Cent. vo. Of. 58. p. 355: 
¢ See Brefl. Samml. 1722, p- 286, Schwencke ¢ ives an account of four boys who 
had the misfortune to eat this root, three of whom died in convulfions; the other was 
faved by the timely adminiftration of an emetic, ~ 
: ; oe ged sad » ty = = at a = “ : “ On 
