38 



a small basinful of the bulbs of the Homeria collina. The 

 exact quantity which each ate, is not well known. They 

 appear to have supped between 7 and 8, and retired to bed 

 at 9 o'clock, apparently in good health. 



About one in the morning; the old woman awoke with 

 severe nausea, followed by vomiting, and found the childi-en 

 similarly afl'ected. She endeavoured to call for assistance, 

 but found herself too weak to leave her bed, and when, 

 at 5 o'clock, assistance arrived, the eldest girl was found 

 Tnorihund, and expired almost immediately. The little 

 boy of 8 years died an hour afterwards, and the youngest 

 child was found in a state of collapse, almost insensible, 

 with cold extremities, pulse scarcely 50 and irregular, pupils 

 much dilated. The symptoms of the grandmother were 

 nearly similar, but in a lesser degree, accompanied by 

 constant efforts at vomiting By using diffusible stimu- 

 lants, she and this child eventually recovered. 



The body of the eldest child was examined twelve hours 

 after death. Marks of intense gastritis were found, parti- 

 cularly about the cardiac and pyloric orifices. The inflam- 

 mation extended throughout the whole course of the small 

 intestines, and there was great venous congestion of the 

 brain.* 



* About a year after the publication of the first edition of this little 

 work, the author received the following communication from the late 

 Richard Fryer, Esq., then Justice of the Peace for Clanwilliam : — ' 



Clanwilliam, 9th February, 1852. 



Dear Sir,— On perusing your "Flora Capensis Medica" the other 

 day, the circumstance stated at page 26, of the poisonous eiFects of 

 the bulb of the " Cape Tulip," brought to my recollection a dreadful 

 accident which occurred in Hantam, in this district, many years ago, 

 and, as I was called upon at the time, in a judicial way, to examine 

 some of the bodies and take evidence upon the causes of death, I can 

 vouch for the accuracy of what I shall here relate. It appears that one 

 of the shepherds of a farmer residing there, brought home in the evening, 

 a bundle of bulbs, which the Dutch call " Uyntjes ;" that towards dusk 

 these were put under the ashes to roast, and when the other servants 

 assembled in the kitchen, they were taken out and eaten amongst them, — 

 the party consisting of three Hottentots, two women, and one male slave. 

 About half an hour after they had partaken of them, they were all 

 seized with dreadful nausea, followed shortly afterwards by severe 

 vomiting, and a speedy prostration of strength. The farmer being 

 called, ascertained immediately from some of the bulbs still uncon- 

 sumed, that they had been eating of the " Homeria collina," of the 

 yellow sort. "Wilde Dagga, sweet oil, milk, and everything thought 

 good, were immediately administered, but before midnight, the three 

 Hottentots and one woman had died, in excruciating agonies. The male 

 slave was got through, although, for a year afterwards, he looked like a 

 skeleton, and the surviving woman ascribed her safety to only having 

 ate one bulb. — &c., 



R. F. 



