154 POISONOUS PLANTS 



It is said that the porcupine of all animals is the 

 only one which can eat Box with impunity. 



Castor-oil {Richius coinmunis). — This plant 

 is often cultivated for its handsome foliage. It is 

 an annual in this country, but grows to a good-sized 

 tree in the South of Europe. 



The value of this plant resides in the oil ex- 

 tracted by pressure from the seeds. The oil itself 

 is of a mild aperient nature ; but the refuse of 

 the crushed seeds, or the whole seeds themselves 

 are much more injurious. 



Cases of poisoning have occurred by children 

 eating the seeds, mistaking them for haricot-beans 

 or pistachio-nuts, and ignorant herbalists have ad- 

 ministered them instead of the oil. Even four 

 seeds caused grave results, and eight, death. 



Very frequent poisoning of fowls and pigs has 

 occurred on the Continent, and eighty sheep were 

 on one occasion lost by their eating the refuse 

 from the oil-crushing, inadvertently given to them.^ 



* Dr. Tanner observes as to the treatment of patients 

 suffering from such irritants as Etipliorbiiwi, excess of Castor 

 and Croton oil seeds : — The treatment must be directed 

 to the removal of the injurious substance by emetics, etc., 

 unless spontaneous vomiting has freely taken place, when it 

 may merely be encouraged by the use of diluents. If the 

 irritant has passed out of the stomach into the intestines, it 

 must be carried off by purgatives, especially by castor-oil. 

 The inflammatory symptoms should be cautiously combated, 

 on account of the great prostration usually caused by these 

 poisons. Opiates, emollient enemata, and fomentations to the 

 abdomen will subsequently be found useful. 



