46 | The “B-R.I T 1S Hy BW E+RabeAgis, 
It isa poifonous plant. Dodonzeus gives an 
account of five perfons who eat the root of it, 
through a miftake, in their food at Antwerp, and 
all died. ‘There have been other inftances of the 
fame kind; and it is faid to deftroy fuch wild 
beafts as tafte or eat it. There is*a tradition, 
how true we know not, that wolves tear up the 
root of fome plants in winter for their food, and 
fometimes miftaking this, perifh by its poifon: 
hence it has obtained the name of wolf/bane. 
Ic is faid, that, when kept in gardens, it is lefs 
fatal than wild; which is probable: all plants 
having their faculties, of whatever kind, more 
ftrong in their wild ftate than when brought into 
culture, ( 
2. Great purple Monks-Hood. 
Aconitum purpureum maximum. 
The root is long, large, and furnifhed with 
abundance of fibres. 
The firft leaves are large, broad, and divided 
into a few great fegments. 
' The ftalk rifes to five feet in height, and is ro- 
buit, firm, and very little branched. 
The leaves ftand alternately, and are like thofe 
from the root: they are divided down to the 
footftalk, into five principal parts, the middle 
one of which is largeft. ‘They are of a pale green, 
and deeply ferrated. 
The flowers ftand in long {pikes at the tops of 
the branches; and are very large, and of a beau- 
tiful deep purple : but they vary in this refpect, 
being fometimes red or flefh coloured. 
The feed-vefféls follow as in the other fpecies, 
but the number is not certain ; ufually there are 
three, fometimes four. 
Tt is common in the mountains of Germany, 
and flowers in Augutt, : i 
J. Bauhine calls it Aconitum lycoétonum flore 
maximo. C. Bauhine, Aconitum caeruleo purpureo 
fore maximo, five Napellus quartus. 
3. Yellow Monks-Hood. 
Aconitum flore luteo. 
. The root.is compofed of a multitude of thick 
entangled fibres. / 
‘TEhe firft leaves are large, broad, and in a 
manner rounded in their general form, but di- 
vided deeply into about five. parts, 
The ftalk is robuft, firm, erect, aad four feet 
high. 
The leaves ftand irregularly on it, and have 
long footftalks : they are like thofe from the root, 
divided deeply into five parts; and thofe are 
fharp at the points, and ferrated at the edges. 
The flowers:are fmaller than thofe of the com- 
mon monks-hood, and of a beautiful yellow. 
The feeds follow in capfules, three after every 
flower. , 
-Itisa native of many parts of Europe, and 
flowers in July, 
The flowers are fometimes. of a deep yellow, 
fometimes ftraw-coloured, or whitith, 
C. Bauhine calls it Aconitum Lycoctonum luteum, 
J. Bauhine, Aconitum Solio platani- flore Iuteo pal. 
lefcente. 
4. Little, blue, flowered Monks-Hood. 
Aconitum ceruleum mimes. 
The root is compofed of a vaft number of fibres 
interwoven with one another. 
The firft leaves ftand on Jong footftalks ; and 
“are broad, and indented deeply, rather than di- 
vided into fegments. 
The ftalk is flender, purplifh, and about two 
feet and a half high, but not very firmly ereét. 
The leaves ftand irregularly on it: they are 
fupported on footftalks, and are divided fome- 
what deeper than thofe from the root, but not fo 
deeply as in moft of the other fpecies: the divi- 
fion is into three principal parts, fometimes inte 
five; and thefe are cut deeply at the edges. 
The flowers are large, and of a deep and beau- 
tiful blue: they ftand in a particular manner, 
not in long {pikes, as thofe of the others, but 
fingly at the tops of flender ftalks rifing from the 
main ftem, 
' Icis a native of Italy, and flowers in May: 
C. Bauhine calls ‘ic Aconitum ceruleum Mints, 
Jive Napellus minor. Dodonzeus, Aconitum pare 
vum ceruleum. 
All thefe fpecies partake of the poifonous na- 
ture of the firft kind ; but there is one refembling 
them in form, and of the fame genus that is. 
falutary, and is efteemed an antidote in particular 
againft their poifon. 
5. Wholefome Monks-Hood. 
Anthora, 
The root is compofed of many irregular, thick, 
and tuberous pieces. ' 
The firft leaves are fupported on long foot- 
ftalks, and are divided to the bottom into five 
fegments: thefe are broad, and notched at the 
edges. 
The leaves on it ftand irregularly, and ‘are di- 
vided into numerous, narrow, plain fegments : 
they are of a pale green on the upper-fide, and 
whitifh underneath. 
The flowers ftand at the tops of the ftalks and 
branches, and are like of the other monks-hood in 
form ; of a beautiful yellow colour 3 and of a plea- 
fant, though flight fmell. 
The feeds follaw: in capfules, three, four, or 
five after each: ower. The number of thefe is 
uncertain, but five isthe moft common. It isa 
native of Germany, and flowers in June. 
C. Bauhine calls it Aconitum Jalutiferum, five 
Anthora, Others,” Anthora, and Antithora, 
The root is kept in the druggitts fhops, and 
was once much ufed as a cordial and fudorifick ; 
there have been miftakes about the kind, and 
they have been. fatal. When frefh dried, this 
Foot purges. vehemently ; but that quality goes 
off in. keeping. This is not particular to this 
plant: but it is a very fufficient reafon why it 
never fhould be ufed; becau it will be impoffible 
for the phyfician who prefcribes it to know its 
ftrength. 
GE 
