CHAPTER X 



POISONING FROM FLOWERS, POISONING FROM HONEY, MECHANICAL INJURIES 



Poisoning from Flowers. The odors from a large number of flowers are 

 more or less injurious, especially to some individuals. The flowers of the com- 

 mon wild black cherry (Prunus serotina) when past their prime give off a cyano- 

 gentic odor that is quite objectionable to many people, causing headache. The 

 carion-like odors, like those produced by Stapelia, the carion flower (Smilax 

 herbacea) and Aristolochia are sickening to many people, causing headache and 

 a depressing feeling. Many flowers that are ordinarily sweet scented like 

 the tuberose (Polyanthes tuberosa) often give people the headache if the flowers 

 are abundant in the room they are sitting in. The flowers of Wistaria are in- 

 jurious to some people- The flowers of Magnolia grandiflora are "overpower- 

 ing" according to some authorities. 



Poisoning from Honey. The honey obtained from the flowers of some plants 

 is said to be poisonous; for instance the honey collected by insects from the 

 oleander was long ago recorded as being injurious, and it is said that the honey 

 collected from the mountain laurel (Kalmia latifolia) appears to be poisonous 

 under some conditions according to Chesnut. According to Chesnut the honey 

 collected from the flowers of the snow-on-the-mountain, (Euphorbia ma.rgina.ta) 

 is bitter and disagreeable, but does not appear to be a serious poison. Several 

 cases of poisoning from the nectar of the flowers of Datura, metel and D. 

 Wrightii are on record and the flowers of the Brazilian magonia of the family 

 Sapindaceae produces poisonous honey; also the flowers of Rhododendron are 

 said to contain andromedotoxin. ^Toxic honey has also been gathered from the 

 flowers of Black Locust (Robinia pseud-acacia)\and Lily of the Valley (Con- 

 vallaria majalis}. 



Prof. Lyman F. Kebler who has made a somewhat extended investigation 

 with poisonous honey * has given an excellent bibliography with reference to 

 the earlier literature on the subject. It has been known for centuries that the 

 honey collected from Ericaceae acts as a narcotic irritant, producing giddiness, 

 vomiting, and purging. Poisonous honey was described by Xenophon. He gives 

 a fairly accurate description of how the soldiers of his army acted that ate honey 

 that was poisoned. He states that they lost their senses, vomited and were af- 

 fected with purging, and those who had eaten but little were intoxicated, but 

 when they had eaten much they were like mad men. Strabo and Pliny spoke of 

 poisonous honey, the latter writer, an early naturalist noted for his accurate ob- 

 servations, records poisonous honey which he called "aegolethron" (goat's death), 

 which bees collected at Heraclea. He gives a description of the honey which is 

 said to have had a peculiar smell and produced sneezing. It is generally supposed 

 that this honey came from a species of Rhododendron, the R. pontica. This and 

 allied species are the chief source of poisonous honey in Asia and Asia Minor, 



l Poisonous Honey. Proc. Amer. Pharm. Assoc. 1896: 167-173. 



