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other plants is beautifully duplicated in its pe- 

 tals by such horticulture ; but every part of it 

 is strongly poisonous. It receives the name of 

 Monk's hood, from its flower being composed 

 of five irregular petals, resembling in some 

 measure a man's head, with a helmet or hood 

 on it. The upper petal represents the hood or 

 helmet, the two lower ones stand for that part 

 which covers the lower jaw, and the two wings 

 seem adapted for covering the temples. From 

 the centre of the flower there arise two pistils, 

 resembling feet, and received into the hollow of 

 the upper petal, or hood ; as is also another 

 pistil, which finally becomes a fruit, composed 

 of several membraneous vaginae collected into 

 a head, and usually containing angular and 

 wrinkled seeds. 



All the species of aconite are extremely 

 acrimonious, occasioning mortal convulsions, QT 

 nflammations that end in a mortification. It is 

 even said, that some persons, by only smelling 

 at the flower of the common Monk's hood, have 

 been seized with swooning fits, and lost their 

 sight for two or three days. Dr. Gregory and 

 Pantologia. 



