No. 25. CONXXTM. lit) 



Flowers in terminal peduncled umbels, with an in* 

 volucre of ten to twelve lanceolate, reflected, acute 

 leaflets — Umbellules from six to nine on long pedun- 

 cles, involucels with three or four similar leafietssitu- 

 ated on one side. Flowers very small and white, 

 Calix without apparent teeth — Petals five, oval, in- 

 flexed, obtuse and entire at the end — Stamina five, as 

 long as the petals. Pistil coherent with the calix, 

 rounded, bearing the petals and stamina : Styles two, 

 reflexed outside. Fruit nearly oval compressed, with 

 erenate ribs, separating into two elliptical seeds, flat 

 inside, convex outside, 



HISTORY— The Conhim of the Greeks and the 

 Cicuta of the Romans, \vas a poisonous plant, the 

 juice of which was used to produce death in Ceos and 

 Athens. Socrates and Phocion, two virtuous, emi- 

 nent and innocent Athenians^ were condemned to 

 drink it, and their death has rendered famous, that 

 poisonous potion. Either this plant or the Cicuia 

 virosa of Europe aSbrded it, or a compound beve- 

 rage was made from several poisonous umbelliferous 

 plants, which procured a speedy but tranquil disso-* 



lution. 



It has since been found, that these plants, like ma- 

 ny other poisons, have valuable medical properties, 

 nearly similar in all the deleterious species of this 

 family. The Conium maculatum^ is the most em- 

 ployed, and must be distinguished from others, either 

 more or less active, by its botanical characters: be- 

 sides its strong smell, spotted stems, parsley leaves, 

 &c. The power of this plant vary exceedingly, ac* 



