HEMLOCK. © 4415 
heat of the climate in. which it grew. Guersent 
supposes that the poisonous draught used by the 
Greeks was not the product of a single species, 
but a compound prepared from several plants. 
Were it not for the tranquillity and ease 
which attended death from the ancient hemlock, 
and which Plato has deseribed with interesting 
minuteness, there would not have been much difii- 
culty in supposing the Grecian plant to be the same 
with that known at the present day. [Vote H.] It 
appears that a large quantity was requisite to insure 
death. The poison was swallowed in the crude 
juice, recently expressed from the plant. Of this 
the draught taken by Phocion was large enough to 
cost twelve drachme.* Socrates was prevented 
from making a libation of a part of the contents 
of his fatal cup, by being told that the whole was 
necessary to produce the consummation ef his sen- _ 3 
tence. A large quantity of the modern hemlock. 
might probably have been equally fatal, though 
with more violent symptoms than those which, if 
Plato be correct, were experienced ad the Atheni- 
an philosopher. . : ae 
The plant, sapeensiot: in our ‘ashi oiled : 
edly came to us from Europe. It is ee oe 
ssissee common in the United — about r 
# Plutarch, Life of Phocion. 
