124 MERCURY. 



other plants of the order Euphorbiacese. The foliage is eaten 

 by sheep and goats, but refused by horses and cows. 



Poisonous Properties. — Some writers have asserted that Dog's 

 Mercury, when boiled, has been eaten as greens, but if the subjoined ac- 

 count be correct, such a meal could not be taken with impunity. Sir Hans 

 Sloane relates that a man, his wife, and three children, who mistook this 

 plant for common English Mercury, (Chenopodium Bonus Henricus,) 

 experienced its deleterious effects. The woman first boiled and then 

 fried it with bacon, for her own and family's supper. After they had been 

 in bed about two hours, the children were seized with sickness and vomit- 

 ing, which was followed by drowsiness. The man did not wake until 

 three hours after his usual time, and during the whole of the day while at 

 his work he experienced a burning heat in his face, which he endeavoured 

 to mitigate by means of water. The woman awoke some time after her 

 husband, and on getting up was attacked with sickness, which continued at 

 intervals for two or three days. One of the children slept from the Thurs- 

 day night on which the poison was swallowed, till Monday evening 

 following, and then after a few convulsive starts expired ; endeavours had 

 been previously used to awaken her, but in vain. The other two children 

 slept for about twenty-four hours, and awoke with vomiting and purging, 

 which probably saved their lives *. 



It would hence appear that this plant is a powerful narcotico-acrid 

 poison, and if the preceding account be correct, the symptoms pro- 

 duced by it are analogous to the action of Tobacco, Fox -glove, &c, 

 while it bears a considerable resemblance to opium in its soporific effects. 



Treatment. — The remedies to be employed in cases of 

 poisoning by this plant are the same as those already directed 

 under the articles Colchicum, Fox-glove, Fool's-Parsley, and 

 Hemlock. 



Medicinal Properties and Uses. — Perennial Mercury has 

 not hitherto been used medicinally ; but when we look at the 

 number of virulent plants subdued to the service of the 

 healing art, we would not despair of some benefit being 

 eventually derived even from this unpromising species. The 

 only instance that we can find of its popular employment is, 

 that in the isle of Skye an infusion of it is used to pro- 

 duce salivation. We have introduced it on account of its 

 poisonous properties. 



* Abridged from the account in the third edition of Ray's Synopsis. — See 

 also Philosophical Transactions, No. 203, for September lo"D3. 



