1S53.J 



POISONOUS PLANTS IN THE NEIGHBOURHOOD OF TORONTO. 



219 



This is a strong seeuteJ, repulsive plant, exceedingly meritori- 

 ous of the name it bears. 



The root is large and abi'upt, with numerous, crowded, fleshy 

 fibres. The spatiie or flower which emerges from the ground 

 some time before the leaves, is ovate, swelhng, spotted, and some- 

 times nearly co\ered with dull brownish purple. The Iea\-es 

 make their appearance after the flowei-s; tliey are numerous, 

 large, and crowded, oblong, heart-shaped, acute, smooth, with 

 numerous veins of a paler colour. They continue to increase in 

 size for a month or two after the flowering poaod is over, and 

 are conspicuous in summer in every meadow, swamp or brook. 



The odour depends on a volatile principle, not separable by 

 distillation, besides which there is an acrid principle, which re- 

 mains in the root when dried, and to which the plant owes its 

 dangerous qualities when taken in over doses. 



19th. Ilyosfiamus Niger. — Henbane, Class V. Order I., Nat. 

 Ord. Luridie, 



This plant is not indigenous to this couuti-y, but within the 

 last five or six yeai's is has become naturalized in the immediate 

 neighboui'hood of this cit}', the only place where I have as yet 

 found it, is on Front Street, near the Bay, and to the westward of 

 Simcoe Street. 



It lielongsto the poisonous Nat, Order Lurida^, and like most 

 of them, ecpially useful in medicine. 



The whole plant has a glaucous or sea green colour, is liiary 

 and viscid, and emits a rank and oftensive smell. 



The fii-st leaves spread on the ground, and have some resem- 

 blance to a young thistle. The flowers ai-e funnel shaped, irre- 

 gular, with five spreading, obtuse segments, of a pale yellow or 

 straw colour, with a beautiful network of purple veins. They 

 are followed by a row of capsules, two celled, and covered with a 

 lid — which is invested by its rigid prickly and persistent calyx. 



The Medicinal as well as the poisonous effects of this plant are 

 too well known to reipiire any comment from me,.pai'ticularl3' as 

 tlie lurid aspect and the nauseous smell would in all probability 

 e\er prevent its been eaten in its natural state. 



I have now, as briefly as 1 could, gi\'en a description of most, 

 if not all, the noxious or poisonDUs plants growing near this City; 

 3'et, I should consider the list incomplete, were I to omit the 

 mention of one which, although not generally looked upon as a 

 poison, yet, I believe it to be the cause of more deaths in the hu- 

 man family than all the others put together. I mean the Secale 

 Cornutum, or Ergot of Rye. 



A good deal of uncertainty prevails as to the exact nature of 

 this substance; — it is generally thought to arise under the in- 

 fluence of undue moisture, damp soils, and a rainy or mist}' at- 

 mosphere, especially at the time the ear is coming into flower. 



The Ergot or Spur will, occasionall}', in unfavourable seasoup, 

 afteet all the Gramiuacffia, more rarely the Cyperacre, and some- 

 times even the Palms; but it is found much more frequeuth", 

 and of larger size, in rye. 



Its action on the animal economy is very peculiar, and the 

 most reuiai'kable of these effects are those pi-oduced by its free 

 and long continued use with the food. 



Amongst cattle, it has frequently been known to pi'oduce 

 ' black foot' and ' rot;' in other instances a cachectic state of the 



system has been observed, indicated by ' extreme wasting and 

 weakness, loss of appetite, frequent pulse, fetor of the secretions 

 and excretions, contraction of the spleen, and enlargement of the 

 liver.' I had an admirable opportunity of observing these eftects 

 some years ago, where a large and good stock of cattle, horses, 

 and sheep, were wintered on the straw of rye, some of which was 

 dujhtly diseased. 



In the spring of the year, the whole of the stock, without a 

 single exception, was in the most abject state of misery; although 

 the winter had been short and not severe, and the cows and sheep 

 well fed with hay, the barn-yard was always kept covered with 

 the rye straw, at whi<di the cattle were constantly picking. The 

 result was the loss of about \ of the sheep, and -j- of the lambs; 

 and both the cows and sheep brought forth their young prema- 

 turcl}'. 



In the human race two distinct diseases have been referred to 

 its protracted use, and both of them have been observed to pre- 

 vail as epidemics in various jsarts of the Continent, where rye 

 constitutes a considerable proportion of the food of man. 



One of these diseases, termed Convulsive Ergotism, is dis- 

 tinguished by the characteis of an acute comatose affection, 

 giildiness, dimness of vision, insensibility, convulsions, impercep- 

 tible pulse, and death within two days. 



The other, and more common disorder, termed Gangrenous 

 Ergotism, which commences with weariness, fever, a tendency to 

 hemorrhage, pains in the arms and limbs, and at length dry gan- 

 grene, commencing in the fingei's or toes, which drop off by the 

 joints, and the patient either recovers slowdj', or expires, worn out 

 under the process of repair. 



When given in single and large doses its effects are different, 

 and it does not appear to be an active poison, as it required three 

 ounces to kill a dog; and in man one ounce has only occasioned 

 vomiting, colicy pains, headache and stujjor. 



It is, however, for a enmiual purpose that this substance is 

 most frequently made use of; from its well known action upon 

 the womb, it is very often had recourse to for the purjjose of pro- 

 curing abortion; and I am convinced that, viewino; it in this 

 light, it is without doubt the cause of more infantile deaths than 

 the whole of the other poisons put together. — Here Dr. H. gave 

 a shoi't account of a visit he paid to the Rice Lake Indians; 

 and spoke of their medicines, superstitions, cause of their 

 great decrease amongst the Christian Tribes. 1st. Abortion 

 very common; 2nd. spirits; 3rd. luant of proper food. 



I feel, gentlenren, that I have trespassed too long upon your 

 kind indulgence, and wearied you with details in which many 

 can have felt but little interest. 



It was my wish to liave offered a few remai-ks on the advan- 

 tages to be derived from the study of Natural History ; but I 

 find that I have already tar exceeded the time allotted to me. 

 It is to be hoped, however, that the time is not far distant when 

 instruction on this subject shall occupy its true place, and recei^'e 

 its due share of attention in all our schools and seminaries of 

 learning. 



The celebrated Linnaaus, in his ' Reflections on the Study of 

 Nature,' observes : — ' He who does not make himself acquainted 

 with God from the consideration of nature, will scarcely acquire 

 knowledge of Him from any other source; fcii-, if we have no 

 faith in the things which are seen, how should we believe those 

 thinsrs which are not seen ?' 



