'Planis used by the Antientsfor Poisoning their Arrows. 1 63 



From these observations, short and imperfect as they are, 

 I hope it will sufliciently appear that the culture of the 

 orchis root is an object of considerable importance to the 

 public, and highly worthy of encouragem.ent from all the 

 patrons of agriculture. That taste for experiment which 

 characterizes the present age, and which has so amazingly 

 enlarged the boundaries of science, now animates the ra- 

 tional farmer, who fears not to deviate from the beaten 

 tract whenever improvements are suggested, or useful pro- 

 jects pointed out to him. Much has been already dene for 

 the advancement of agriculture ; but the earth still teems 

 with treasures which remain to be explored. The bounties 

 of nature are inexhaustible, and will for ever employ the 

 art and reward the industry of man. 



XXVII. On the Plants employed ly the antient People of 

 Europe for PoisQuing their Arrows. By C. CoauEBEET*. 



XiLL those nations who live by hunting have sought, in 

 the vegetable kingdom, for active poisons in which they 

 might dip their arrows, in order to kill with the greater 

 certainty the animals they employed as food. 



Most historians have neglected to make known to us the 

 plants used for this purpose by our ancestors, the half sa- 

 vage inhabitants of Europe, in the most remote periods. 

 Chance, however, put into my hands two Spanish works, 

 in which I found some passages which throw light on this 

 interesting subject. 



The title of the first of these works is Synopsis Stirpium 

 hidigenaruvi Arragonice, published in 1779, the author of 

 which, a native of Saragossa, denotes himself by the initi- 

 als C. A. R. This author quotes a manuscript of Cien- 

 fiiegos, his countrvman, who wrote about 15 IS on the bo- 

 tany of Arragon, who relates that in his time the Spanish 

 hunters were still accustomed to poison their arrows, and 

 that the poison in which they dipped them was so power- 

 ful, that if an animal was in the least wounded the hunter 

 was sure of his pre}-. The vegetable from which they pre- 



ollam de aurichalco hahente in cooperculo 20 forairiina minuta sicut 

 athomi, et pone inius eo pra;dicta mcssa lactis vaccini calidi sicut 

 inulgetunle vatca lb. 3. et mellis libram i. villi aromatici lb. a. et repone 

 per dies 20. ad iolem et conserva et utcre. 



" Istius iiaq; dosis ad pondus 3.4. ct hora die! decimi exliibita niu- 

 licri post ipsius menstrua cadcm noctc concipict si vircuin c;> asjat." 



' /'rom Uibliolbique I'hjsico-ero'iomique, au vi. 



L ii pared 



