S30 fool's-parsley. 



this considerably relieved him from the uneasy sensations in the bo^relsj. 

 but the other symptoms continued, and he passed a restless night. Next 

 day he had much pain in his head and eyes, which last were inflamed and 

 bloodshot ; and transient, but painful, circumscribed swellings of the face. 

 On Saturday his eyes were painful, and entirely closed by the surrounding 

 inflammation; he was much relieved by bleeding. The symptoms were 

 not entirely removed for two or three subsequent days, but he eventually 

 recovered *. 



Dr. Buckhave 'f" mentions several cases in which Fool's- 

 Parsley was given inadvertently for hemlock, and produced 

 unpleasant symptoms, besides frustrating the purpose for which 

 the conium was ordered. It occasioned tremors, vertigo, head- 

 ache, colic pains, vomiting, loss of strength, and aversion to 

 food ; and, in some instances, convulsions. Riviere states that 

 on opening the body of an individual who died from eating 

 this plant, the tongue was black, a brownish serosity was found 

 in the stomach, the liver was hard, and of a yellow colour ; the 

 spleen livid, but the body was not at all emphysematous ;|;. 



Hence it appears that Fool's- Parsley acts as a narcotic-acrid 

 poison, and the symptoms may be thus summed up : — heat in 

 the throat, thirst, vomiting, occasionally diarrhoea, short and 

 difficult respiration, pvdse small and frequent, headache, vertigo, 

 swelling of the limbs, and delirium. 



Treatment. — The first thing to be done in cases of poison- 

 ing by this plant is to administer an emetic ; if it has been 

 swallowed but a short time, two or three grains of emetic tartar, 

 or from twenty to twenty-four grains of ipecacuanha dissolved 

 in a small quantity of water is suitable ; or the throat may be 

 tickled with a feather. If the poison has been some time in 

 the stomach, and spontaneous vomiting has not occurred, an 

 emetic combined with a purgative, such as Epsom salts, may be 

 given, and purgative lavements may be exhibited. If symptoms 

 of cerebral congestion appear, blood should be taken from the 

 jugular vein. Subsequently, when the poison is evacuated, 

 acidulated drinks should be given, and chiefly water sharpened 

 with vinegar, in small doses, frequently repeated. When the 

 narcotic effects are abated, the acidulous drinks should give 



* Mr. Lowe, in Stephenson and Churchill's Med. Botany, art. jEthusa. 

 t Acta Regise Societatis Medioas Hauniensis, vol. i.; quoted in Medical 

 Commentaries, vol. xiv. p. 37. 

 + Orfila, /. c. 



