44 POISONOUS PLANTS 



stamens are pendulous at first, but rise up in succes- 

 sion, placing the anther forward, so that when 

 visited by humble-bees they readily get dusted 

 with pollen. 



The root is spindle-shaped — pale-coloured when 

 young, but acquiring a dark brown skin subse- 

 quently. 



It was well known to the ancients as deadly 

 poisonous, and was fabled as the invention of 

 Hecate from the foam of Cerberus. It was the 

 poison used in the island of Ceos, where all who 

 were of no use to the State were poisoned. Old 

 men were thus disposed of. 



As all parts of the plant are deleterious, it is 

 most important to caution people from chewing 

 either the leaves or flowers, as a sensation of 

 numbness will be felt in the mouth for some hours. 

 If a larger quantity than will only cause this be 

 taken internally, great burning will be occasioned, 

 followed by tremors. 



The taste is bitter, though at first rather sweet, 

 followed soon by a burning sensation, accompanied 

 by great salivation. So acrid is the poison, that 

 the juice applied to a wounded finger affected the 

 whole system : not only causing pains in the limbs, 

 but a sense of suffocation and syncope. 



Linnaeus says that the Aconite is fatal to kine 

 and goats when they eat it fresh ; but that when 

 dried it does no harm to horses. In this respect it 



