568 FIELD AND GARDEN PRODUCTS 



puppet root; earth gall; crow poison; devil's bite; duckretter; itch 

 weed ; bugbane ; wolfsbane ; bear corn. It is a stout, herbaceous, sim- 

 ple-stemmed perennial, 2 to 7 feet high, with a fleshy root 1 to 3 

 inches long, large, plaited stemless leaves of varying size, and a large, 

 loose, terminal cluster of yellowish-green flowers which blossom from 

 May to July. It grows in wet meadows and along mountain brooks. 

 Cases arise mainly from overdoses in medicine, but instances of acci- 

 dental poisoning are reported for man and for various animals and 

 birds. The seeds have been specially mentioned as poisonous to 

 chickens. Some animals, such as the horse, are poisoned by eating 

 the leaves, but animals such as the sheep and elk, which chew the 

 cud, seem to relish the plant, and eat it with apparent impunity. 

 The root has been eaten and often with fatal results by man. 

 The poison operates chiefly against the action of the heart and spinal 

 cord, both of which it tends to paralyze. It has also a violent, al- 

 though somewhat tardy, emetic and cathartic effect, a property which 

 is often effective in expelling the poison from the system before it 

 accomplishes its deadly work. The chief effects on the system are 

 burning in the throat, an increased flow of saliva, defective vision, 

 vomiting, diarrhea, severe headache, dizziness, weak pulse, labored 

 breathing, and profound prostration. Death is caused by paralysis 

 of the heart. 



Pokeweed (Phytolacca decandra). Poke; poke root; garget; 

 pigeon berry; cocum; jalap; skoke; American nightshade; crow- 

 berry; cancer root; chongras (La.) ; redweed; red-ink plant; pocan 

 bush. A smooth, rank, succulent perennial, 6 to 9 feet high, 

 with a thick half-woody root, purplish stems, large alter- 

 nate leaves, and numerous elongated clusters of small green- 

 ish-white flowers, which blossom throughout the summer, and 

 are followed in autumn by shining purple-black berries. The poke- 

 weed is a well-known plant and has many household uses, but some 

 chemical or mechanical manipulation seems necessary to prevent ill 

 effects when it is eaten. The root and the alcoholic extract of the 

 fruit are quite commonly used as a household remedy for the itch 

 and other skin diseases and for rheumatism. Most instances of poi- 

 soning arise from overdoses when the plant has been used as a medi- 

 cine, but there are also accidental cases due to the eating of the root, 

 which has been variously mistaken for that of the parsnip, artichoke, 

 and horseradish. A few fatal cases of poisoning of children have 

 been attributed to the fruit, but whether death was really due to the 

 seed or the pulp is somewhat uncertain. The evidence is chiefly 

 against the seed, for it is known to contain a poisonous substance. 

 Pokeweed is a violent but slow-acting emetic, vomiting beginning 

 only after about two hours. It also affects the nerves and muscles, 

 producing retching, spasms, severe purging, and sometimes convul- 

 sions. Death is apparently due to the paralysis of the respiratory 

 organs. 



Corn Cockle (Agrostemma githago).- Cockle; rose campion; 

 bastard nigelle; old maids' pink (N. H.) ; mullein pink (Nova 

 Scotia) ; licheta (Vt.) ; crown of the field. A whitish, woolly an- 



