52 JO URN AL; BOMB A Y NA TUBAL HISTORY SOCIETY, Vol. IX. 



generally entertained. Dr. Murrell's remarks as published by him in 

 the British Medical Journal (May 7th, 1881), and referred to by 

 Warden and Pedler regarding Arum rnaculatum (Cuckoo-pint) were not 

 the first to point out the poisonous nature of some species of the Arum 

 family. Sowerby and Johnson describe the plant, in their work entitled 

 the British Poisonous Plants published so far back as 1861, as possessed 

 of a powerful acrid principle. They note that in two or three cases 

 leaves eaten by children produced disastrous effects. The fact that the 

 root also of Arum rnaculatum possesses acrid properties when bitten 

 was not unknown to them. Miss Annie Pratt had also referred to 

 them in her illustrated pamphlet on the British Poisonous Plants long 

 before the researches of Murrell or Warden and Pedler. Arum 

 rnaculatum appears to be the only British representative of the Aroid 

 family. In India we have several species developing tubers possessed 

 of similar, more or less acrid properties. Nine of these have been 

 stated by Warden and Pedler to be distinctly poisonous. 



Sowerby and Johnson observe that " the poisonous qualities of Arum 

 rnaculatum are wholly dissipated by heat and the plant then becomes 

 highly nutritious." They further add that the roots of various foreign 

 species are employed as food after being macerated in water, baked 

 and reduced to powder. I cannot say that in every case the acridity of 

 even the cultivated varieties of Suran entirely disappears on boiling. 

 I know of no instance where in this country Suran is ever reduced 

 to powder or baked before use. It is invariably used after boiling in 

 ghee or butter, or mixed with molasses. 



Guy and Ferrier, in their Forensic Medicine, make an important 

 observation which is worth noting here. They say that the juice of 

 Arum rnaculatum^ when applied to the tongue, causes darting pain as if 

 it were pierced with sharp needles. The same sensation is noticed by 

 some after eating Suran even when well boiled. The sharp needle-like 

 ends of the crystals (technically called raphides) found in the cellular 

 tissue of Suran, and more fully described hereafter, whatever their 

 chemical nature, would seem to account for their irritant property. 



Professor Christison observes in his work on Poisons (p. 602) that he 

 knows from personal observation that when the roots are distilled with 

 water neither the distilled water nor the residue possesses acridity. 

 The fact that the distilled water possesses no acridity would point to the 



