CHERRY LAUREL. 247 



now indisputably proved, the public ought to be cautioned against 

 its internal use. 



'Hie following communication to the Royal Society, by Dr. Mad- 

 den of Dublin, contains the first and principal proofs of the delete- 

 rious effects of this vegetable upon mankind. " A very extraordinary 

 accident that fell out here some months ago, has discovered to us a 

 most dangerous poison, which was never before known to be so, 

 though it has been in frequent use among us. The thing I mean 

 is a simple water, distilled from the leaves of the lauro-cerasus. 

 The water is at first of a milky colour, but the oil which comes 

 over the helm with it, being in a good measure separated from the 

 phlegm, by passing it through a flannel-bag, it becomes as clear as 

 common water. It has the smell of bitter almond, or peach ker- 

 nel, and has been for many years in frequent use among our house- 

 wives and cooks, to give that agreeable flavour to their creams and 

 puddings. It has also been much in use among our drinkers of 

 drams; and the proportion they generally use it in, has been one 

 part of laurel water to four of brandy. Nor has this practice, 

 {however frequent) ever been attended with any apparent ill con- 

 sequences, till some time in the month of September, 1728, when 

 it happened that one Martha Boyse, a servant, who lived with a 

 person that sold great quantities of this water, got a bottle of it 

 from her mistress, and gave it to her mother, Ann Boyse, as a very 

 rich cordial. Ann Boyse made a present of it to Frances Eaton, 

 her sister, who was a shopkeeper in town, and who she thought 

 might oblige her customers with it. Accordingly, in a few days, 

 she gave about two ounces of the water to a woman called Mary 

 Whaley, who drank about two-thirds of what was filled out, and 

 went away. Frances Eaton drank the rest. In a quarter of an 

 hour after Mary Whaley had drank the water, (as I am informed) 

 she complained of a violent disorder in her stomach, soon after lost 

 her speech, and died in about an hour, without vomiting or purging, 

 or any convulsion. 



The shopkeeper, F. Eaton, sent word to her sister, Ann Boyse, 

 of what had happened ; who came to her upon the message, and 

 affirmed that it was not possible the cordial (as she called it) could 

 have occasioned the death of the woman ; and to convince her of 

 it, she filled out about three spoonfuls, and drank it. She continued 

 talking with F. Eaton about two minutes longer, and was so earnest 



R4 



