VOL. XX.] PHILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIONS. 243 



roots of it for sium aquaticum roots, and ate a great deal of them. About 4 or 

 5 hours after going home, the eldest of them, who was almost of man's stature, 

 without the least previously appearing disorder or complaint, on a sudden fell 

 down backwards, and lay kicking and sprawling on the ground ; his countenance 

 soon turned very ghastly, and he foamed at the mouth. Soon after, 4 more were 

 seized the same way, and they all died before morning, not one of them having 

 spoken a word from the moment in which the venenate particles surprised the 

 genus nervosum. Of the other 3, one ran quite mad, but came to his right 

 reason again the next morning. Another had his hair and nails fallen off, and 

 the 3d alone escaped without receiving any harm ; whether he ate less of this 

 fatal root, or whether his constitution, which is to this day very athletic, occa- 

 sioned it, I cannot tell. Though I am of opinion, that his speedy running 

 above two miles home, after seeing the first young man fall, together with his 

 drinking a very large draught of milk, warm from the cow, in his way, were of 

 singular use to him ; for his violent sweating doubtless expelled and carried off 

 many of the venenose particles, and had a better effect than perhaps the best of 

 our alexipharmics might have produced in this case. Besides, the draught of 

 warm milk might act its part, by involving the acid or acrimonious poisonous 

 particles, and rendering them inactive, and preventing them from seizing the 

 genus nervosum, till they were expelled per diaphoresin. This happened about 

 30 years ago, but there are many yet living who assert the truth of it, having 

 been eye witnesses of this dreadful tragedy. There was also a Dutchman about 

 1 years since, within 8 miles of Clonmel in Ireland, poisoned by boiling and 

 eating the tops of this plant, shred into his pottage ; he was soon after found 

 dead in his boat, and his Uttle Irish boy said the cause of his death was eating 

 this herb, which he forewarned his master against, but in vain, the Dutchman 

 asserting that it was good sallad in his country ; so that probably he took it for 

 apium palustre, which its leaves much resemble. Thus far Dr. Vaughan. 



Several parallel, and no less tragical histories of later date, of the miserable 

 destruction of divers persons from eating the roots of this pernicious and dele- 

 terious plant, I find recorded by Jacobus Wepferus, in his book de Noxis 

 Cicutae Aquaticae, and in the Miscellanea Curiosa or Ephemerides German. 

 Dec. 2, An. 6, Observ. ]l6. 



Experiments about giving a Fariety of Tinctures to Water, &c. By the Right 

 Hon. Sir Rob. Southwell, V. P. R. S. N° 238, p. 87. 



For red, tinctura rosarum 6 spoonfuls. For a higher red, syrupus florum 

 punicorum, 1 spoonful ; either of these to be mixed with 5 of ordinary water. 

 For violet, 1 spoonful of syrup of violets to 5 spoonfuls of water. Then to 



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