318 



THE ALUMNI JOURNAL. 



Linaria vulgaris is known to be fatal 

 to various insects, and the volatile prin- 

 ciple which escapes from it while wilting 

 in the sun is capable of causing emesis in 

 some persons who merely inhale the 

 tainted atmosphere. It also possesses 

 poisonous relatives. 



Many violets are noted for their ipecac 

 like properties, yielding a glucoside called 

 violin and long confused with the eme- 

 tine yielded by ipecac. They may be 

 classed among the emetico-cathartics, 

 and a large quantity might easily be pro- 

 ductive of serious results to a child. 



The same statement may be applied to 

 theMenyanthes or Bog- bean. 



While the plant of Chenopodium am- 

 brosioides has not been known to pro- 

 duce fatal poisoning, yet such cases have 

 to be recorded as resulting from the oil 

 which is yielded by the seeds. The plant 

 therefore must be held under suspicion. 



Reference has already been made to 

 the poisonous effects of certain potato tu- 

 bers, and we shall hereafter have to charge 

 similar properties to the fruit. These 

 facts led to the examination of the herb- 

 age of the common potato for the presence 

 of narcotic principles, and extravagant 

 claims were at one time made concerning 

 its medicinal properties. Careful scien- 

 tific and exhaustive experiments were 

 made with it by Dr. H. C. Worsham of 

 Philadelphia, with the result of proving 

 that it was inert. (See Philadelphia Med- 

 ical Journal, VI, 22.) 



Not so however of the herbage of the S. 

 nigrum, one of the most, if not the most, 

 widely distributed of plants, as well as 

 one of the most variable. It is not com- 

 mon hereabout, but may be found occa- 

 sionally in rich ground in waste places. 

 Lindley states that a grain or two of the 

 dried leaf will excite a rather dangerous 

 agitation in the viscera, and at least one 

 case of irritant narcotic poisoning is re- 

 corded. Noth withstanding these facts 



however, the leaves are said to be con- 

 sumed on a large scale in certain parts of 

 Europe, thorough cooking appearing to 

 destroy the poisonous properties. How- 

 ever, I would repeat this statement with 

 a caution, as it appears at least possible 

 that there is here a confusion between 

 different plants. 



Kalmia latifolia L. represents a 

 group comprising also the K. angusti- 

 folia L, the Pieris, at least P. Mariana 

 (L.) B. and H., and the Rhododendron 

 maximum L, , the leaves of all of which 

 must be treated with caution. As to the 

 Rhododendron we have only eduntry 

 legends in evidence that it is poisonous. 

 Its nearest locality to this city is the 

 Delaware Water Gap, but in many parts 

 of the Alleghenies and Blue Ridge it oc- 

 cupies the swamp lands almost to the ex- 

 clusion of all other shrubs. Both of the 

 laurels are rather scurce in this immedi- 

 ate vicinity, but become abundant, es- 

 pecially the K. latifolia, as soon as we 

 depart a few miles from the city in almost 

 any direction. The smaller one bears 

 the suggestive title of "Lamb-kill," and 

 farmers are positive in their assertion 

 that it is a narcotic poison to their ani- 

 mals. Its properties have never been 

 investigated. 



As to the larger laurel, much conten- 

 tion has existed as to whether it really is 

 poisonous. Among countrymen and 

 hunters it is generally believed that part- 

 ridges die after eating its young shoots 

 or "buds." Johnson quotes these 

 views, but at the same time takes occa- 

 sion to express a doubt as to their correct- 

 ness. However, a writer in the Boston 

 Medical a?id Surgical Journal, 1834, 214, 

 seems to me to have established the facts 

 beyond cavil. He reports careful and 

 continued experiments on himself, two 

 ounces of the leaves infused in a pint of 

 water having been taken within two or 

 three hours in successive doses. He ob- 



