31'2 PHILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIONS. [anNO 1758. 



poisonous effects on some French prisoners at Pembroke. These observations 

 were afterwards published in the Phil. Trans. * with an accurate representation 

 of the plant itself, from an original drawing by that complete artist Mr. Ehret. 

 That Dr. W. then thought the more necessary, as it was of no small import- 

 ance to the public, to be well acquainted with a plant, the effects of which, 

 when taken into our bodies, were so much to be dreaded. That account, as 

 well as the representation of the plant, were re-published from the Transactions 

 mto the periodical works of that time ; whence a more extensive knowledge of 

 and acquaintance with this plant might have been hoped for. A late instance 

 however had evinced, that these endeavours had not had their full effect, as the 

 plant in question was not then sufficiently known and attended to. 



John Midlane, a cabinet maker of Havant in Hampshire, aged about 58, and 

 of a gross habit of body, was advised to make use of the water parsnip, as a re- 

 medy for a severe scorbutic disorder, which he had long been troubled with ; 

 and for which he had taken a variety of medicines. Instead of the water parsnip, 

 which he purposed to take, there were gathered for him some roots of the 

 oenanthe above mentioned ; a large one of which was pounded in a mortar, and 

 the juice squeezed through a linen cloth amounted to about 5 spoonfuls. This 

 was suffered to stand all night, and the next morning (Mar. 31, 1758), at about 

 4- past 5, he drank the whole quantity, except the sediment. 



In about an hour and half after he had taken this juice, he walked about the 

 town on some business : and a little before 7? on his return home, about 100 

 yards from his own house, he first complained that he was ill ; and having 

 walked about 30 yards farther, was so bad as to go into a neighbour's house to 

 rest himself. He was soon led to his own house by 2 men, and told them that 

 he was affected as though he had lost the use of his limbs. When he was placed 

 in his chair, he complained greatly of pain all over him ; but particularly in his 

 head. His stomach was immediately after aflected, and he had great retchings 

 to vomit. At the 2d attempt he threw up about 4- a pint of a clear watery liquor, 

 at the first and third attempt he discharged scarcely any thing. He was then 

 seized with a great propensity to go to stool, which went off in 3 minutes. After 

 this he with the greatest difficulty was conducted up stairs to bed, where he 

 pulled off part of his clothes himself. When he was put to bed, he was attacked 

 with very severe convulsions, which in about a ^ of an hour deprived him of his 

 senses ; and continued, with a few intermissions, till he died, a little before 9 

 o'clock; which was about 3 hours and half after the juice had been taken. A 

 profuse sweat accompanied the whole of these symptoms : he foamed consider- 



+ See Phil. Trans- No. 480, p. 227- Vol. ix, p. 256, of these Abridgments. 



