WOLF'S BANE, OR MONKSHOOD. 



555 



hai-d and tough, like a horn; to the taste they 

 are extremely bitter, but have no smell. They 

 consist chiefly of a gummy matter, and a resin, 

 soluble in alcohol, to which it imparts an intensely 

 bitter taste. Strychnine is the name of that 

 peculiar active principle contained in the resin 

 of these seeds. 



Nux vomica may be classed among the most 

 powerful of vegetable narcotics. To man and 

 most animals, it proves a virulent poison. 

 Administered to dogs, hares, foxes, wolves, cats, 

 rats, rabbits, and several kinds of birds, it pro- 

 duced death in a very short time. 



A horse after having taken a dram of the 

 half roasted seeds, died in the course of four 

 hours. Its effect upon different animals, even 

 of the same species, varies, however, greatly, and 

 does not seem to depend always on the quantity 

 taken. With some animals its effects are instan- 

 taneous; with others, not till after several hours, 

 when laborious respiration, followed by stupor, 

 tremblings, coma, and convulsions, usually pre- 

 cede the extinction of life. Its effects on the 

 human subject are exactly similar; and from no 

 appearances of inflammation, being visible on 

 the stomach or intestines after death, it appears 

 that the poison acts immediately on the nervous 

 system, and speedily destroys life by the viru- 

 lence of its narcotic qualities. 



The quantity necessary to produce fatal effects 

 on a strong dog, need not exceed a scruple; a 

 rabbit was killed by five, and a cat by four 

 grains; and a girl of ten years of age was poi- 

 soned by a dose of fifteen grains. It is frequently 

 employed mixed with meal, to poison rats, and 

 proves an effectual means of destroying these 

 vermin. 



Although many trials have been made of 

 exhibiting this substance internally for the cure 

 of diseases, especially in Germany and Sweden, 

 yet it has never come into very general use as a 

 medicine; externally, however, it has been em- 

 ployed, especially of late, as a powerful and 

 useful stimulant in local and general affections, 

 accompanied by a loss of nervous power and 

 muscular energy. 



Wolf's Bane, or Monkshood (aconitum 

 napellus). Natural family ranunculacece; poly- 

 andria, trigynia, of Linnaeus. This is a peren- 

 nial plant, with a turnip-shaped root. The stalk 

 grows erect, to the height of three or five feet. 

 The leaves are lobed, deeply laciniated, and stand 

 alternately upon long footstalks; the upper leaves 

 being, however, almost sessile; the upper part 

 dark green, the under whitish. The flowers 

 terminate the stalk; they are without calyces, 

 and grow in a long raceme. Each flower consists 

 of five petals, which include two nectaries; the 

 uppermost petal is arched over the lateral ones, 

 so as to appear like a helmet or hood; the colour 

 is purplish blue, or deep violet. This plant is 



a native of the mountainous or woody parts of 

 Germany and Switzerland, and was introduced 

 into Britain by Gerard. It is now a common 

 plant in flower borders. 



Every part of the fresh plant is a virulent 

 poison; but the root is unquestionably the most 

 powerful, and when first chewed, imparts a slight 

 sensation of acrimony, but afterwards an insen- 

 sibility or stupor, to the apex of the tongue; 

 and a pungent heat of the lips, gums, palate, and 

 throat, are perceived, followed by a general 

 tremor, and sensation of chillncss. Though the 

 plant loses much of its power by drying, yet 

 when a little of the powdered root is put upon 

 the tongue, it excites a durable sense of heat, 

 and sharp wandering pains, but without redness 

 or inflammation. The juice applied to a wound, 

 affects the whole nervous system; even by keep- 

 ing it long in the hand, or on the bosom, it is 

 said to produce unpleasant symptoms. When 

 taken into the stomach, it causes sickness, vomit- 

 ing, convulsions, delirium, violent purging, cold 

 sweats, and death. Like the other narcotics also, 

 it seems to act directly on the nervous system, 

 without causing any visible action on the coats 

 of the stomach. It proves fatal to all animals 

 on whom it has been tried. The ancients were 

 well aware of the baneful qualities of aconite, 

 and fabled it the invention of Hecate, or the 

 virulent froth of Cerberus. Ray states it as the 

 most certain and sudden of all poisons. 



The root was administered by way of experi- 

 ment, to two condemned criminals at Rome, in 

 the year 1524; and to other two at Prague, in 

 1661, two of whom quickly died, while the 

 other two with difficulty recovered. It has fre- 

 quently been eaten in mistake for other plants, 

 and proved fatal; a remarkable case is recorded 

 to have occurred in Sweden. A person having 

 eaten some of the fresh leaves, became maniacal; 

 and the surgeon who was called to his assistance 

 declared that the plant was not the cause of the 

 disorder. To convince the company that in his 

 opinion it was perfectly innocent, he ate freely 

 of the leaves, and soon after died in great agony. 



Among the modems, Stoerck was the first to 

 introduce it into practice; and it was exhibited 

 by him and several German physicians, chiefly 

 in cases of rheumatism, and with very favourable 

 results. It has also been found an efficacious 

 remedy in glandular swellings, stiff joints, and 

 old cases of gout and rheumatism. The usual 

 preparations of the plant are the dried leaves 

 powdered, or the expressed juice of the plant 

 dried to the consistence of an extract. A grain 

 of either of them may be given at first, and 

 gradually increased. The strength, however, 

 varies very much, according to circumstances. 

 It is always most powerful when recently pre- 

 pared, and loses its virtues gradually, according 

 to the time it is kept. 



