POISONOUS HONEY OF NORTH AMERICA, \Q^ 



confequence of their eating our pheafant *, in whofe crops and infe&ing 

 the leaves and buds of the kalmia latifolia were found, that the,r flcftu 

 the mayor of the city thought it prudent and his duty, to 

 warn the people againft the ufe of this bird, by a public 

 proclamation. I know that by many perfons, efpeciaily by 

 fome lovers of pheafant-flefh, the circuraftance juft mentioned, 

 was fuppofed to be deftitute of foundation. But the founda- 

 tion was a folid one. This might be fliown by feveral well- 

 authenticated facls. It is lufficient for my prefent purpofe 

 to obferve, that the collection of a deleterious honey from the 

 flowers of this fpecies of kalmia gives fome countenance to 

 the opinion, that the flefh of pheafants that had eaten of the 

 leaves and buds of this plant may have been impregnated with 

 a pernicious quality +. 



I have been informed, that our Indians fometimes inten- uf e <] f or fu^e. 

 tionally poifoned themfelves with a deco&ion of the leaves 

 of this kalmia. The powder of the leaves has been employed 

 (but I fufpeft with little advantage) in the inflammatory itage 

 of certain fevers. From experiments made upon myfelf, I 

 find that this powder is ftemutatory. 



To fome conftitutions the flowers of the kalmia latifolia, 

 «ven externally applied, are found to prove injurious. 



III. The kalmia hirfuta appears to poflefs nearly the fame ^ a | m j a hirfuta 

 properties as the two fpecies which I have juft mentioned. 



This pretty little flirub is a native of South-Carolina, Georgia, 

 and Florida. 



In Georgia and in Florida, this fpecies of kalmia is fup- 

 pofed to be the principal vegetable from which the deleterious 

 honey in thofe parts of our continent is procured. 



IV. The andromeda mariana, or broad leafed moorwort, Andromeda ma- 

 is a very common plant in many parts of North America, riana. 



* Tetrao Cupido of Linnaeus. 



+ It is not a new fufpicion, that the flefh of animals that have 

 eaten of the leaves, &c. of deleterious vegetables is fometimes 

 endued with a poifonous property. Georg, H. Welfchius, a very 

 learned German writer, quoted by Dr. Haller, (See Hiftoria Stir- 

 pium Indigenarum Helvetia Incboata. Tom. I. p. 433.) fays, 

 that the flefh of a hare which was fed with the leaves of the rho- 

 dodendron ferrugineum proved mortal to the guefts: This fpecies 

 of rhododendron is a native of Switzerland, Siberia, and other 

 parts of the old world. 



Thfc 



