DICOTYLEDONS 8 1 



fatal to an adult. Dr. Taylor records many fatal 

 cases from this poisonous oil. 



Cherry-Laurel {Prujms Lauro-cerasus). — It is 

 the leaves of this common shrub which are danger- 

 ous, and more so in the autumn than in the spring. 

 It is in the south of Europe where the poison is 

 mostly if not only developed. The custom there 

 of flavouring milk with laurel-leaves has caused 

 injury to infants. More frequently has the distilled 

 laurel-water caused misfortunes when used un- 

 advisedly by ignorant practitioners. 



Dr. Taylor says that laurel-water is a weak 

 solution of prussic acid, containing only about one- 

 fourth of a grain per cent, of the strong acid, but it 

 is said to be more poisonous than this quantity of 

 acid would indicate. The leaves gathered in wet 

 and cold weather are said to yield more prussic 

 acid than those gathered in hot and dry weather. 



It is a limpid, colourless liquid, producing in 

 large quantities the usual effects of poisoning by 

 prussic acid. 



Dr. Taylor says that the late Dr. Paris stated 

 that several children were severely affected by 

 partaking of some custard flavoured with laurel- 

 leaves, and were ill for three days. Half a tea- 

 spoonful of a mixture consisting of four-fifths 

 cherry-laurel water, was given by mistake to an 

 infant eight months old. It died in a few seconds. 



Noyau and other liqueurs, as cherry-ratafia, 



F 



