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statement of Linnzus, in his /lora Lapponica, that the Norlanders prepare from 
the leaves of Aconitum Napellus a broth, which they eat without any injurious 
effects resulting therefrom.” 
The following cases of poisoning by the drug, serve, however, to show its 
action upon the system: 
“A boy, six years of age, having eaten some of this herb, by mistake for 
Parsley, at 4 o'clock in the afternoon, commenced immediately to cry out in great 
pain, and complained of great cramps in the stomach, Whilst taking him home 
the whole body became excessively swollen, and of a livid hue; the respiration 
became difficult and short, and he died toward midnight. Another child was 
poisoned in the same manner, but he was fortunate enough to vomit up the herb. 
This, however, did not prevent many symptoms manifesting themselves; he talked 
wildly, and in his delirium he thought he saw numbers of dogs and cats.” —(Oxji/a, , 
vol. ii, p. 324.) 
“Gmelin has related the case of a child who died in eight hours, in conse- 
quence of having eaten the Aithusa. The symptoms were spasmodic pains in the 
stomach; swelling of the belly; lividity of the skin; and difficult breathing.” 
—(Chris., p. 365.) 
“ A woman gave two of her children soup, in which some of this was boiled. 
They were both seized with severe pain in the abdomen, and next morning there 
was perfect unconsciousness; the lower jaw was spasmodically fixed; abdomen 
tumid; vomiting of a bloody mucus, and constant diarrhcea; cold extremities ; 
convulsions; and death in twenty-four hours. Post-mortem appearance: redness 
of the lining-membrane of the cesophagus, and slight vascular congestion of 
stomach and duodenum.”—(Medic. Fahrbuch.) 
“ Another child, who had eaten the bulbs by mistake for young turnips, was 
suddenly seized with pain in the abdomen, followed by nausea, without vomiting ; 
could not swallow; vacuity; inability to answer questions; lower jaw fixed; insen- 
sibility and death an hour after the commencement of the symptoms.” —(Jed, 
Times, August 23, 1845.) 
“A healthy, strong man, about thirty-five years of age, a publican, ate a 
handful of Fool’s Parsley, with nearly the same quantity of young lettuce, about 
1 o'clock p. M.; in about ten minutes he was affected with a pain in the stomach 
and bowels, attended with a rumbling. He walked out in the fields, but was 
seized with such languor, weariness, and weakness, that he supported himself with 
difficulty. He was much troubled with giddiness in the head; his vision was con- 
fused, and sometimes objects appeared double. At 7 o'clock he got an emetic, 
which brought up, he supposes, all the Fool's Parsley, but none of the lettuce; 
this relieved him of the unpleasant symptoms in the stomach, but the other sen- 
sations continued, and he passed a restless night. Next day he had much _geucesioame 
his head and eyes, which last were inflamed and bloodshot. He had different cir- 
cumscribed swellings in his face, which were painful and inflamed, but they were 
transient, and flew from place to place. On the Saturday his eyes were highly 
inflamed, painful, and entirely closed by the surrounding inflammation. He was 
