LAUROCERASt g. 21 



the extremities was present. Its action was most rapid and 

 intense when injected into the jugular vein. 



On Man. — Several cases are recorded of its effects on the 

 human subject. One of the earliest happened in Dublin in 

 1728. Martha Boyce, servant to a person who sold large 

 quantities of the water, gave to her mother a bottle of it, and 

 by the latter it was given to Frances Eaton, her sister. Mrs. 

 Eaton was a shopkeeper, and thinking it a compliment to Imr 

 customers, offered them some, among others, one Mary Whaley 

 drank of it, went to another shop, and in about a quarter of an 

 hour complained of violent disorder in her stomach ; she was 

 carried home, and from that time lost her speech and died in 

 about an hour, without vomiting or purging or any convulsions. 

 Mrs. Ann Boyce was informed of this, and came immediately 

 to her sister ; she affirmed it could not be the cordial that 

 caused death, and to convince her of it, she filled out three 

 spoonfuls and drank it, and shortly after two more ; in a few 

 minutes she died, without a groan or convulsions (Madden, in 

 Phil. Trans., vol. xxxvii.) 



Eodere says that, when he was attending his studies at Turin, 

 in 1784, the chambermaid and man-servant of a noble family of 

 that town stole (from their master), for the purpose of regaling 

 themselves, a bottle of distilled laurel-water, which they took 

 for an excellent cordial. Fearful of being surprised, they 

 hastily swallowed, one after the other, several mouthfuls of it, 

 but they soon paid the price of their dishonesty, for they ex- 

 pired almost instantly in convulsions. The dead bodies were 

 carried to the University for examination; the stomach was 

 found highly inflamed, but the rest of the organs were in a 



sound state (Orfila, op. cit.) 



The leaves have proved fatal to children, from being too 

 freely used for seasoning puddings and sweatmeats. 



Dr. Paris {Med. Juris., ii. 402) mentions an instance of 

 several children, at an English boarding-school, having been 

 dangerously affected by a custard flavoured with the leaves. 



d c 2 



