56 On the POISONOUS HONEY 



A a ingenious friend of mine,* to whom the public 

 are indebted for a variety of valuable information con- 

 cerning the natural productions of various parts of North- 

 America, informs me, that, in the Carolinas, and Flo- 

 ridas, the poifonous honey is often fo fimilar, in colour, 

 tafte, and odour, to the common, or iimocent honey, 

 that the former cannot be diftinguiflied from the latter. 

 It is owing, h-e fays, to this circumftance, that fo many 

 accidents daily happen from the ufe of the wild honey. 

 He was informed, that it is experience alone which en- 

 ables the hunters and others to determine, whether the 

 honey which they find in the woods be poifonous or in- 

 nocent. They have obferved that the injurious effetfts 

 manifeft themfelves in a fliort time after the honey is 

 taken into the flomach. They are accuftomed, there- 

 fore, to eat a fmall quantity, before they venture to fatis- 

 fv their appetite. Should this produce a^/y difagreeable 

 effeJEts, they do not think it prudent to continue the ufe 

 of it. But, if in a fhort time, it Ihould occafion no in- 

 convenience, they think they may, with perfedl fafety, 

 indulge their appetite to the full 



I have been informed that the poifonous honey, by 

 boiling and by rtraining, may be rendered as innocent as 

 any honey whatever. It is, likewife, faid, that by long 

 keeping it becomes harmlefs. 



The honey of which I am treating is poifonous to 

 dogs, as well as to men. 



Hitherto, 1 have not been able to obtain any certain 

 information concerning the means to be purfued in the 

 treatment of perfons labouring under the effedts of the 

 poifonous honey. It is faid that the Indians, and fome 

 of the Whites, ufe cold bathing with advantage. It is 

 probable that this praftice has been ufeful. As the eff'edls 

 produced by this honey are fo funilar to thoi'e produced 



by 



* Mr. William Bartram. 



