July U, 1882.] 



KNOWLEDGE 



111 



Henbane is common in hedges and by the roadside. 

 The young shoots have sometimes been dressed for salad, 

 and the roots have been mistaken for wild parsnips. The 

 symptoms produced by this poisonous plant are dilation of 

 the pupils, vomiting, purging, giddiness, delirium, and 

 sometimes stupor. 



Deadly Nightshade is commonly seen in our hedges, and 

 known by its lightish green leaves, brownish purple 

 flowers, and dark purple berries. The berries often prove 

 attractive to children, and have been eaten with fatal con- 

 sequences ; but the leaves and roots are also poisonous. 

 The following case, described by Orfila, gives a good idea 

 of the usual symptoms : " One child ate four ripe berries 

 of the Belladoyina, and another six ; an hour after, both 

 committed such extravagant actions, that their mother was 

 astonished ; the pupils of their eyes were dilated, their 

 looks were altered, and they appeared labouring under a 

 cheerful delirium, accompanied by fever. The medical 

 man called in found them in a state of great excitement, 

 talking at random, running, jumping, and laughing con- 

 vulsively, with purple countenances and accelerated pulse." 

 Nausea and vomiting, generally without stomach pains, 

 are noted ; they seem to be caused by the gorged condition 

 of the blood-vessels of the brain. Dryness of the throat 

 is another characteristic symptom. But the most marked 

 feature of poisoning by Belladonna atrojia is dilation of 

 the pupils of the eyes. The stomach is insensible to the 

 action of ordinary emetics. 



The same general treatment is to be adopted in all cases 

 of vegetable poisoning; but in all serious cases it is 

 essential that medical assistance should be obtained. 

 Emetics (the sulphate of zinc, if procurable, but if not, 

 the mustard emetic already described) should be used at 

 once ; the back of the throat tickled with a feather, and 

 copious draughts of tepid water taken to excite and pro- 

 mote vomiting. Where these measures fail, the stomach- 

 pump must be used. Neither ipecacuanha nor tartar 

 emetic should be used to cause vomiting, as during the 

 nausea they produce before vomiting is excited, the poison 

 is more readily absorbed. Vinegar must not be given until 

 the poisonous matter has been removed ; but afterwards, 

 it may be given in doses of a wineglassful, one part vinegar 

 to two parts water, once every two hours in mild cases, 

 but oftener — to half-hourly doses — in cases of greater 

 severity. Where there is stupor, the patient should bo 

 kept walking about, and if the stupor is great cold water 

 may be dashed over the head and chest Strong coffee may 

 be used where the narcotic efiect of the poisoning is very 

 marked. But as we have already mentioned, it is all- 

 important that in casts of vegetable poisoning a medical 

 man should at once be sent for ; the messenger should be 

 enjoined to tell the doctor the nature of the case, lest 

 haply, instead of antidotes and stomach-pump, he should 

 come mainly provided witli surgical instruments. In the 

 e.vcitement of a sudden case of poisoning, a messenger is 

 often simply sent for Doctor So-and 80, without being able 

 to say for what purpose the doctor is so suddenly wanted. 

 (To be continued.) 



One or tuk First Frimts.— The Markland Electric Light Com- 

 pany announce that the shares offered to the public not having been 

 fully subscribed, the deposits paid on application will be returned 

 at OHco without deduction. 



Undercroind Wires i.v New York.— Tlic Mibcommittco ap- 

 pointed at Albany to report npon the practicabilitv and feasibility 

 of laying wires nnderpronnd in cities in New York State have 

 made a report in which tlicy strongly nrge llie Legislature to pass 

 a law compelling telegraph and telephone wires to be run under- 

 ground. 



JULY FLOWERS. 



MIDSUMMER is a good time to master the plantains, 

 for they may all be found now both in flower and 

 in fruit together ; and they are a curious family of plants, 

 well worthy of close consideration. Probably everybody 

 knows the typical plantain form by sight — in the rough at 

 least ; but as it is well to take nothing for granted, one 

 may begin by saying that any roadside weed with a tall 

 spike of minute flowers, each consisting of four greenish 

 sepals, four thin, transparent, and colourless petals, united 

 into a s-hort tubular corolla, four stamens, and a pistil, is 

 perfectly sure to be a plantain. They are all more or less 

 exclusively wind-fertilised, and so they have long stamens 

 hanging out to the breeze, and feathery styles to catch the 

 pollen ; and the styles always come to maturity tirst, 

 being fertilised by the pollen blown from another head 

 before the stamens uncoil themselves. We have five 

 English species. Three of them have leaves about three 

 times as long asbroad, namely, PlmUago lanctolatu, P. major, 

 and /'. media. Of these, P. lanc>:(jlata, common ribwort, 

 is by far the most abundant. It may be known by its 

 long, narrow leaves, which rise from the ground nearly 

 erect, as well as by its yellow stamens, and by the fact 

 that each of its small, cup-like capsules contains only two 

 seeds. When ripe, it divides in the middle, the top falling 

 ofl' like a cover, and shows the two little kernels within. 

 This is the most degraded of our inland English species, 

 having completely accommodated itself to wind fertilisa- 

 tion ; its petals are a dingy grey or brown, and are tucked 

 away inconspicuously behind the calyx. /'. lutdia, the 

 hoary plantain, is far less abundant, and much prettier. 

 Though also mainly designed for wind-fertilisation, it 

 has not entirely ceased to attract insects; and so its 

 petals are still a faint whitish lilac, its stamens are 

 tinged with pink or purple, and it has a slightly 

 fragrant almond perfume. It may be known by 

 its close rosette of broad, silvery white leaves, pressed 

 tight against the ground in a bunch, so as to kill ofl" the 

 grasses beneath it ; as well as by the fact that its capsule 

 usually contains four seeds, at least in the young state, 

 though one or two of them sometimes wither away before 

 ripening. This is by far the prettiest of our Englisli 

 species. P. /najor, the large plantain, is frequent along 

 waysides. Its leaves are very broad, tapering into a stalk 

 at the bottom, and less upright than in the ribwort. But 

 the best distinctive mark is aflbrdcd by the capsule, which 

 contains a number of very small seeds, as well as by tlie 

 length of its spike, which is lower and longer than in the 

 other species. This is also a very degraded kind, with small 

 and very inconspicuous flowers, mostly concealed beneath 

 their large green masking bracts. It is often given as food 

 to canaries. The other two plantains are mainly seaside 

 weeds. /'. roronopiig, the buckshorn plantain, has leares 

 which sub divide into tines or branches, like a stag's antler, 

 from which rough resemblance it gets its English name. 

 Its tufted stock, with a ring of narrow, much-branched 

 foliage, is familiar to everybody on cliffs and pastures by 

 the seashore, as well as on sandy places inland. Its leaves 

 lie flat against the earth, showing ofl' their tracery-work 

 most delicately on the pale background of a sand-patdi. 

 The flowers are very inconspicuous, with brownisli stamens, 

 and the calyx is fringed with minute hairs. There are 

 four cells or divisions in the capsule, but the seeds seldom 

 all ripen. 7'. marilima, sea plantain, is the least interesting 

 of any. Its leaves are long and slender, but very fleshy, 

 something like thick green cords; and its flowers are 

 almost as minute as those of the buckshorn plantam. 

 The capsules have only two seeds. This is the most 



