82 MEDICINAL HERBS AND POISONOUS PLANTS 



letives, and, when "bruised, their " dead -mouse" 

 odour. 



Poisonous Properties. — Cases of poisoning from eatmg 

 this plant are of conimon occurrence. In one case some 

 boys from an Industrial school partook of Hemlock 

 whilst picnicking on the island of Cumhrae (Firth of 

 Clyde), mistaking the root for an edible herb. Almost 

 at once twenty -four of the boys were taken ill; in this 

 case all except one recovered. Recently a case of fatal 



poisoning was reported 

 from the Isle of Man. Tlie 

 symptoms of poisoning 

 from Hemlock are deep 



h 



Fig. 49.— a, Vmit of Hemlock 

 ft, Sectinii of same. 



stupor and loss of the use 

 of the limbs. 



Of the substances ex- 

 ti^acted from the plant the 



chief is coniine (|-1 P^^ 

 cent). This is a colourless 



oily liquid with an un- 



pleasant mouse-like odour and a biting taste. Others 

 are methyl -coniine, conhydrine, and ethyl -pi2yerid{ne. 

 It is interesting to note that these substances are vola- 

 tile, and therefore it is not difficult to extract the 

 poisonous principles; in fact, it is stated that formerly 

 Hemlock leaves (thoroughly cooked) were eaten as a 

 vegetable. Larks and quails eat the Hemlock without 

 suffering any ill effects, but their flesh afterwards is 

 dangerous for human beings to eat. 



Medicinal Pro}:>erties.—The juice prepared from the 

 Hemlock is used as a sedative and narcotic in various 

 spasmodic diseases. 



D istrihuti on. —Komlock is generally distributed over 

 the whole of Great Britain; it grows better in shady places. 



