Poisonous properties of the Yew 139 



and that not one time but many times. . . . Daily 

 experience showes it to be true, that the yew-tree in 

 England is not poysonous.' Parkinson, 1 in 1629, 

 makes a similar statement, 'and causing no harm 

 to them for any thing that hath been knowne in 

 our country.' 'The berries are sweet and harm- 

 less,' says Brandis, 'and are eaten by the natives 

 of India.' 2 



Selby asserts, 3 erroneously, that the fruit does 

 not partake of the poisonous qualities ; but adds, 

 truly enough, that the sweet mucilaginous cup sur- 

 rounding the seed is quite harmless. Lindley, 4 too, 

 writes : ' The berries are not dangerous, though 

 the seeds are unwholesome.' But a writer in 

 Knight's English Encyclopaedia makes the very 

 dangerous assertion that ' it is now well known 

 that the fruit of the yew may be eaten with im- 

 punity/ 



It is well known, on the contrary, that the fruit 

 is very injurious, and even fatal. Taylor 5 records 

 two cases of poisoning thus caused, one of which 

 died comatose four hours after the berries had been 

 eaten, and the other nineteen days afterwards, 

 evidently from severe inflammation of the bowels. 

 Another case is reported by Mr. Newth 6 in which 

 death resulted from eating the berries, and two 



1 Paradisi in Sole, 1629. 2 Forest Flora of India. 



3 British Forest Trees. 4 Vegetable Kingdom, 231. 



5 Medical Jurisprudence, loth edition. 



6 Medical Times and Gazette, 1870, p. 446. 



