CICUTA, OE WATER HEMLOCK. 9 



The woman followed these directions^ using one root instead of 

 two. An hour later her husband complained of pain and was nause- 

 ated, afterwards falling senseless. Apj)arently he did not entirely 

 lose consciousness, for he was helped into the home and sat down, but 

 soon fell unconscious and shortly afterwards died, his death occurring 

 about two hours after eating the cake. 



It was shown by examination that the root furnished by the 

 fortune teller was that of Oicuta virosa. 



THE POISONOUS PRINCIPLE OF CICUTA. 



When the rootstock of Cicuta is cut open, drops of an aromatic oil 

 are noted, which give the root its peculiar odor, and this oil is popu- 

 larly thought to be the poisonous substance. The poisonous principle, 

 however, is not in the oil but in a resin, and has been separated under 

 the name of cicutoxin and especially studied by Boehm, 1875-76, 

 Wikzemski, 1875, and Pohl, 1894, It has properties similar to 

 picrotoxin and with these two are commonly grouped coriamyrtin, 

 cenanthotoxin, and santonin. 



Kunkel, 1901, p. 934, describes this poisonous principle as a clear 

 brown, sticky resin with an acid reaction, which does not harden 

 when dried. It is soluble in ether, alcohol, chloroform, and dilute 

 alkalis, and is precipitated from alkaline solutions by acids. It is 

 slightly soluble in cold water and more readily in hot water. 



Wikzemski, 1875, gives in detail the results of subcutaneous injec- 

 tions of the poison in frogs. His conclusions are as follows: 



(1) Tlie poisonous principle of Cicuta virosa produces in frogs clonic-tonic convul- 

 sions of the whole body and in doses of 4 to 6 milligrams of the ether extract kills with 

 paralysis. 



(2) The effect of the poison limits itself to the central nervous system. The activity 

 of the heart and organs of respu'ation is influenced in a secondary way. 



(3) The principal effect of the Cicuta poison is upon the "convulsion center" at 

 the end of the medulla oblongata. The upper part of the brain is not affected, while 

 the terminal paralysis of the spinal cord apparently results from the complete exhaus- 

 tion following the convulsions. 



EXPERIMENTAL WORK. 



EXPERIMENTS IN COLORADO. 



Cicuta occidentalis grew in considerable abundance along the ditches 

 in the irrigated land of Ohio Creek Valley, Colo., at the head of which 

 the Mount Carbon Station was located. The ranchers recognize it as 

 a poisonous plant and some of them make a business of cutting it out. 

 It is never, however, entirely destroyed, and sometimes large quanti- 

 ties of it are cut v/ith the hay. 

 24138°— Bull. 69—14 2 



