( 51 ) 

 No. VII. 



Some Account of the Poifonous and Injurious Hofiey oj 

 North America. By Benjamin Smith Barton, 



M. D. 



Read juiyTN the jcat 1785, I had an opportunity ofob- 

 18, 1794X ferving fome of the difagreeable eiFeds of oiir 

 wild honey upon feveral perfons who had eaten of it, in 

 the weftern parts of Pennfylvania, near the river Ohio. 

 From thefe effects I was perfuaded, that a fubftance 

 which is generally confidered as entirely innocent, is 

 capable of doing much injury to the conftitution. I 

 was, therefore, induced to pay fome attention to the 

 fubjecr. The refult of my inquiries I now communicate 

 to the Fhilofophical Society. 



It is not neceffary to make any remarks on the fabric 

 of honey. It may be fufficient to obferve, that the honey 

 will always partake, in a greater or a lefler degree, of 

 the fmell, the tafle, and general properties, of the flowers 

 from which it is obtained. This obvious fad; (hould 

 have folicited more of the attention of thofe whofe em- 

 ployment it is to raife large numbers of bees, for the 

 purpofe of obtaining the valuable product of thefe little in- 

 fedls. But, in this country at leaft, hardly any atten- 

 tion has been paid to the fubjedt. Perhaps, the follow- 

 ing loofe hints, by pointing out fome of the fources from 

 which an ill-flavoured or pernicious honey is' obtained," 

 may be of fome fervice to the new or remote fettlers of 

 our country. 



I muft obferve, that in thefe hints I do not mean to 

 include among the difagreeable confequences of the eating 

 of honey, the occafional effedt of its purging : for al- 

 though, as I fhall prefently obferve, a purging is one of 

 the common effeds of the poifonous honey, yet the moft 



'G 2 innocent 



