f 



88 PASTORAL AND AGRICULTURAL BOTANY 



from British Columbia, Montana, Idaho to California. Besides Cicuta vi- 

 osa, the European species, and the above-mentioned, the following species 

 of Cicuta have been reported as poisonous: C. bulbifera, C. Bolanden, C. 

 occidentalis (Fig. 35), C. calif ornica, C. Curtisii, C. Douglasii, C. purpurea, 

 and C. tenuifolia. 



Cases and Symptoms. The number of cases of cowbane poisoning in 

 Europe has been large. In this country also, especially in the East, the 

 number of cases reported by physicians has been considerable. The 

 writers personal acquaintance with poisoning by the cowbane of~the 

 eastern states, Cicuta maculata, began with the receipt of specimens of 

 rhizome received from Dr. G. A. Ricketts of Smithmill, Pa., on April 2, 

 1912. Excerpts from his letter of March 31, 1912 are here given. "Yes- 

 terday, March 30 (n to 12 M.) Chester Mulhollen, aged 8, Willard Mul- 

 hollen, aged 10 and Harold Fun aged 9 mistook these tubers for artichokes. 

 They ate of them for about half an hour, consuming I suppose about as 

 much as I mail to you. All three became suddenly ill a few minutes 

 after they stopped eating. Chester M. started toward the house about 

 ibo feet distant and fell in the door in a convulsion, never regaining con- 

 sciousness. Harold F. dropped where he was in convulsions. Willard 

 M. became ill a few minutes later, and acted exactly like the others. The 

 neighbors induced vomiting in the two latter, but were unable to force 

 Chester to swallow. He did not vomit at any time. Chester died at 

 3 p. M. The other two are recovering rapidly. Today both are able 

 to walk about, and have no pain. I did not reach the scene until two 

 hours after the convulsions began. The boys were totally unconscious 

 and do not remember anything that happened after becoming ill. Their 

 pupils were widely dilated, the iris hardly visible. They had a slow weak 

 pulse, 30 to 50 per minute. Vomiting was induced. No purging occurred. 

 The facial muscles contracted rapidly. Their eyelids would almost snap 

 with eyeballs protruding. Eyes turned inwardly. Extreme cyanosis 

 during the spasms. Jaws set so that it was almost impossible to force 

 the mouth open at any time. Convulsions almost continuous, both tonic 

 and clonic. All the muscles were rigid. The poisoning resembled that 

 of strychnin to some extent. Convulsions ceased in Willard and Harold 

 about half an hour after becoming ill. Women of the neighborhood gave 

 ipecac with milk and eggs before vomiting began. Chester's spasms 

 never ceased until death. Please let me hear from you at your earliest 

 convenience. I hope that you can identify the plant and inform me the 



