CORRESPONDENCE OF RAY. 315 



pened about thirty years ago ; but there are many yet alive 

 who assert the truth of it, having been eye-witnesses of 

 this dreadful tragedy. There was also a Dutchman, about 

 two years [since] within eight miles of this place, poisoned 

 by boiling and eating the tops of this plant shred into his 

 pottage ; he was soon after found dead in his boat, and 

 his little Irish boy gave accounts of the cause of his death 

 to be eating this herb, which he forewarned his master 

 against, but in vain, the Dutchman asserting that it was 

 good salad in his country, so that I believe he took it for 

 Apium palustre, which its leaves much resemble." Thus 

 far Dr.Vaughan. 



Several parallel, and no less tragical histories of later 

 date, of the miserable destruction of divers persons by the 

 eating of the roots of this pernicious and deleterious plant, 

 I find recorded by Jacobus Wepferus, in his book ' De 

 Novis Cicutae Aquaticae,' and in the ' Miscellanea Curiosa,' 

 or ' Epheinerides German.' Dec. 2, An. 6, Observ. 116, 

 wherefore I think it is for the interest of mankind that all 

 persons be sufficiently cautioned against venturing to eat 

 of this, and indeed any other unknown herb or root, lest 

 they incur the same fate, and in order thereto that such 

 histories be made public and transmitted to posterity, as 

 what 1 send you may be by being inserted into the 

 ' Philosophic Transactions,' if you think fit. I am, 



Sir, 

 Your very humble servant, 



JOHN RAY. 



For his honoured friend, Dr. Hans Sloane, at his 

 house at the corner of Southampton street, 

 towards Bloomsbury square, London. 



