1847.] Stramonium — Progress of Discovery. 103 



gether with many other facts in their history, before we can suc- 

 cessfully attempt to guard either a shade or fruit tree. Those per- 

 sons who raise fruit for market or for their own luxury, had better 

 be content with sharing their products with the birds than to have 

 their trees totally destroyed by insects; and so important is the 

 feathered race in view of the defence which they affoid against 

 insects, that it would be well to protect them by the enactment 

 of a law, the force of which should prevent their extirpation at 

 the hazard of a proper fine on conviction. 



STRAMONIUM. 



Children sometimes eat the seeds of this plant, which speedily 

 induces a train of alarming symptoms. The first effect is dryness 

 of the throat, and a hoarseness of the voice, the intellectual func- 

 tions soon become obtuse, the limbs are weak and trembling, and 

 there is but little disposition to sleep, though it produces, like 

 opium, agreeable dreams in small doses. But unlike opium in 

 small doses, it does not affect the appetite; in large doses it di- 

 minishes it, but the salivary and urinary secretions are increased, 

 in which respect it resembles in its operation, digitalis. As a 

 sedative it is slower in its operation than digitalis, and more cer- 

 tain; when taken in large doses it disposes to hemorhage, and if 

 tieath follows, to a speedy dissolution of the body; hence it extin- 

 guishes rapidly the vital powers. Stramonium, digitalis and prus- 

 sic acid diminish the oxygenation of the blood. 



PROGRESS OF DISCOVERY. 



The history of all great discoveries forms an interesting subject 

 for reflection; and it will afford us that kind of information, which 

 will dispose us to set a due value upon the labors of our prede- 

 cessors, as well as upon our cotemporaries. The discovery for 

 example, of the action of plants upon carbonic acid, illustrates the 

 usual progress of the discovery of all great ones which have hith- 

 erto been made by experimental researches. Thus Bonnet first 

 observed the evolution of a gas from leaves immersed in water; 

 Priestly discovered that the gas was oxygen; Ingenhouse demon- 

 strated the necessity of solar light for its disengagement, and 

 finally to complete the range of discoveiy Leuwestein has the 

 honor of showing that the oxygen gas is derived from carbonic 

 acid. It is in this way that discoveries advance in a certain line 

 step by step towards some ultimate fact, which is required to give 

 perfection to the advancing series. 



