74 NATURAL HISTORY OF PLANTS. 



The Ancients knew that Aconite was a very energetic poison, 

 and potent remedy.' The name Lijaodoniim {ir<jlf.sba/i(') is enouj^li 

 to show that it was used to kill wild beasts. Formerly criminals 

 were put to death by administering Napdhus. In the East, and 

 chiefly in India, the Bikh,^ considered by Wallich to be his A. 

 fero.r'' is thought to be one of the most terrible poisons known. As 

 drugs,* the Aconites — chiefly Napelli/.s ; more rarely Anthora, panicu- 

 latum, Lycoctonum, ferox — have been used in the treatment of 

 neuralgia, deafness, rheumatism, gout, heart-disease, dyspnoea, 

 dysentery, fever, purulent diathesis, chronic diseases of the skin, 

 and also against erysipelas, glanders, farcy, syphilis, dropsy, metror- 

 rhagia, intermittent fevers, &c. Their activity, whether as poisons 

 or as remedies, appears to be entirely due to the presence of Aconi- 

 tine, a principle discovered by Brandes, and often administered in 

 medicine instead of the plant itself." 



The Hellebores — especially //. officinalis^ nit/er, foefidus, hyevialis, 

 oricnfalis, and viridi,s-J were also known to the Ancients as poisons 

 and as medicaments. In comparatively small doses, they act as 

 energetic evacuants and parasiticides. Their use was formerly 

 abused, especially in nervous affections ; and we know that at least 

 one species, conjectured to be H. orient alis,^ was formerly supposed 

 by phj^sicians to cure madness. Now-a-days the Hellebores have 

 nearly fallen into disuse, and are considered too dangerous to be 

 administered. 



The Crowfoots" are generally very acrid. The names B. acris, 

 scckrafus, are enough to indicate their properties. Ji. aco////i/o///<s, 

 bulbosm, (jramineus, repens, tripartitus, Flammula, Lingua, Thora, &c.. 



• " Accordiiip to Pliny," says FucHS {Sutt. dangerous EanunctilacecB employed in mcili- 



den rUtntes, (iH), it is quite certain that Aco- cine. 



nilum IH tlie suddenest of all jwisons and venoms. "^ Or Bisli, Vish, Visha, Alivisha, &c. (Seo 



Neverthuless lialli it been turned to the usjige of Koyle, Illustr., 40.) 



liumaii iH'ulth, as exiierinient teaclieth that it is ^ PL As. liar., i. 33, t. 41. — DC, Prodr., i. 



a sovereign remedy Aconilum hath such 64. — A. tnro.tiim Don, Prodr. Fl. yep., H*C>. 



u nature tliat it will kill a man if there bo not * See I'kukiha, Mat. Mid., ed. 4, ii. ii. 684. 



in him comotliing which it may kill; for then —Diet. Enc. Si: Mid., i. 577. 



doth it wreMtleandfightwilli the said jmison, find- ^ See Did. Enc. Sr. Mid., \. 598. 



ing sometliing of its own kind in the Ixnly. And " Lini)m:v, Ihd. Rt'if. (1812), t. 34, 68. 



tliis wrcHtling and fightin;; is only when the said ^ (Jriuorur, Droii. SimpL, 4th e<l., iii. 61)0. — 



Aconilum iialh found otlier venom or poison Pkueiua, 3/rt/. Jl/r</., 4th ed. ii. ii. 680, I'aYKR 



in the inside. And it is a wondrous thing recognised wliat is sold in j)luirmncy as Black 



when two deadly jioisons are in a man tliey kill llellehori', as being tlie rhizome of Jl. viridiji. 



and undo one another, and the man remaineth " See Hkatn, J'l. Jlort. Berul. {Ann. Sc. 



safe and sound." If wo cite this passage, it is Art/., scr. 4, i.367.) 



because it will equally apply to all the other * Pkukiua, /. ciV., 678.— (Jiin., /. r«/., 68U. 



