438 



their uniformity. The author has found hy experiment, as Profes- 

 sor Geiger had already been led to conclude, that every jjart of the 

 plant is poisonous, both the root, the leaves, and the fruit ; and that 

 the root is least active, the leaves miich more so, but the fruit the 

 most active of all The root is commonly held to be most active in 

 midsummer, when the plant is in full vegetation and coming into 

 flower ; but this belief is founded only on a single, and not alto- 

 gether conclusive, experiment made by Professor Orfila. The 

 author found this part of the plant to be so feeble at all times, that 

 its respective energy at different seasons coidd not be satisfactorily 

 settled. The expressed juice of twelve ounces of roots had no appre- 

 ciable effect on a small dog' in the end of October or towards the 

 close of June; but an alcoholic extract of six ounces in the beginning 

 of May killed a rabbit in thirty-seven minutes, when introduced into 

 the cellular tissue. The leaves are commonly thought to be most 

 energetic when the plant is coming into flower in midsummer, and 

 to be very feeble while it is young. The author finds it to be pro- 

 bable, that the leaves are veiy active in midsummer ; but he has 

 likewise observed, that they are eminently energetic in the young 

 plant, both in the beginning of November, and in the month of 

 March before vegetation starts on the approach of genial weather. 

 Thirty-three grains of a carefull}' prepared alcoholic extract, repre- 

 senting one oiuice and a third of fresh leaves, killed a rabbit in nine 

 minutes, when introduced into the cellular tissue. The fruit is most 

 active when it is full gro^^^l, but still green and juicy. It then 

 yields much more of the active principle conia than afterwards Avhen 

 it is ripe and dry. The author added, as a fact contrary to general 

 belief, that he had found the ripe seeds of hemlock, and an alcoholic 

 extract of the leaves, to sustain no diminution in energy by keeping, 

 at all events for eight years. 



2. CEiiantlie crueata, Dead-tongue. — This species is univei'sally 

 considered to be the most deadly of all the narcotic Umbcllifene. 

 Many instances of fatal poisoning with its roots have been published 

 during the last two centuries, in the various periodicals of Europe. 

 It has repeatedly pioved fatal in two hours ; and a portion no bigger 

 than a walnut has been thought adequate to occasion death. Fatal 

 accidents have occurred from it in England, France, Holland, Spain, 

 and Corsica. The root would seem from these cases to be the most 

 active part ; but few observations are on record as to the effects of 

 Iho leaves, and none as to the fruit. The root appears from these 

 cases to be very active in all seasons, at least in the beginning of 



