238 REMARKS on tHE CICUTA VENENOSA. 
Throphraftus fays that Thrafyas, a great phyfician, 
had invented a compofition, which would caufe death, 
without any pain; andthat this was prepared with the 
juice of Hemlock, and Poppy together; and did the bu- 
{inefs, in afmall dofe. Plato relates the noble death of his 
matter Socrates, fo as to evince it was brought on by a 
compound of this nature; viz. the fymptoms were eyes 
fixt, heavinefs and infenfibility of the legs, great coldneis, 
which, by degrees, feized the vital parts. 
The famous poifon, kept by the public of Marfeilles 
had Hemlock, or Cicuta, as an ingredient in it; a dofe of 
which, was allowed by the magiftrates, to any one, who 
could fhow a reafon why he fhould defire death. 
The Cicuta, or Hemlock, here mentioned, and of which, 
this boy had eaten buta very {mall quantity of the root, 
feems to be of fufficient ftrength, without any addition. 
We aretold that, vegetable poifons, fuch as Hemlock and 
Monkthood, occafion convulfions, and bring on a pain= 
ful death; and that, this deadly quality confifts in juices 
of a corrofive nature, affeGting the ftomack and firit paf- 
faces with a violent pain and inflammation: that this 
active, acrimonious, ftimulating, or corrofive property 
was correéted in the celebrated poifons above mentioned, 
by the admixture of anodynes and narcoticks, that 
fhould weaken the vellicating, and painful part of their 
operation, and blunt the fenfibility of the nervous fyftem; 
fo as to render their effects infenfible until they brought 
on an eafy death. 
The plant, here defcribed, feems to be poffeifed of all 
the powers above mentioned. A very fmall quantity of 
the root was eaten: It operated upon the nervous fyftem, 
foas to deprive the boy of all fenfe and motion, except 
vefpiration; and had he taken a larger dofe, death would 
have 
