COMPOSITAE — THISTLE FAMILY — BONESET 771 



The boneset (E. perfoliatum) , is commonly used as a domestic remedy, em- 

 ployed in catarrhal affections and fevers. The Joe-Pye weed (B. purpureum) 

 is used in urinary affections. 



Eupatorium urticaefolium Reichard. White Snake-root 

 A smooth or nearly smooth branching herb from 2-3 feet high; leaves op- 

 posite, thin rounded, cordate at the base or abruptly narrowed into a slender 

 petiole, coarsely and sharply toothed; heads in ample and loose corymbose 

 clusters; flowers white; involucre narrowly campanulate; bracts linear, acute 

 or acuminate. 



Distribution. Common in rich woods from New Brunswick to Sw^th Da- 

 kota and Nebraska to Indian Territory and Louisiana. 



Poisonous properties. This plant is said to produce the disease known as 

 trembles in cattle, horses and sheep, and milk sickness in people. Mr. E. L. 

 Mosely states that : 



Milk-sickness is known to be due to the use of milk, butter, cheese or meat of animals 

 afflicted with the trembles, but what causes the trembles has not been well understood. It has 

 long been known that only the animals allowed to run in the woods were affected, and experi- 

 ence showed that certain woods were very dangerous, while others were safe. People who 

 came from Pennsylvania with a view to settling here returned to their own State on learning 

 of the peril of pasturing animals in Ohio. To this day many woods in this district are not 

 pastured, because animals would soon die if turned into them. 



The Kupatoriums are not palatable. Anyone who has tasted boneset will admit that this 

 is true of Eupatorium perfoliatum. In the South I have observed that animals leave Eupa- 

 torium serotinum untouched even where they have been confined so as to eat almost every 

 other green thing in reach. In northern Ohio I have found Eupatorium urticaefolium, the 

 white snake-root, growing abundantly in a number of woods where animals were pastured 

 but no sign of their having eaten it. But if the pasture becomes poor, some are likely to eat it. 



On the 8th of last October I visited a piece of woods in Sandusky county where there 

 was nothing fit for an animal to eat, the principal herbs being nettle, white snake-root, poke 

 and black nightshade, with some clearweed, basil, and bedstraw. Every plant of snake-root 

 had been nipped off so that I did not see one more than about half the normal height. This 

 had probably been done by cattle from the adjoining pasture which were doubtless accustomed 

 to spending a portion of hot sunny days in the shade of the woods. A few weeks before my 

 visit a man and his wife who had been using butter made from the milk of cows in this pasture 

 had milk-sickness and the wife died. 



Elisha Haff, Townsend township, Sandusky county, did not think trembles were due to 

 any weed, until he found that western sheep which he turned into his woods ate the white 

 snake-root and died of trembles. Sheep whose ancestors had long been in the region did not 

 eat it, and did not have trembles. Since that he has been destroying the weed. 



Mr. William Ramsdell of Bloomingville informs me that about 1842 when there was so 

 much discussion of the subject the boys of the neighborhood used to assemble evenings at the 

 old lime-kiln southeast of Castalia and experiment on dogs. They would boil or steep the 

 white snake-root and putting the extract in milk give it to the dogs, in which it would induce 

 the trembles; a large number were killed in this way. Some one experimented on sheep with 

 the same result. He informs me also that a Mr. Redmond (who did not believe that the weed 

 was the cause of trembles) chewed some of the weed and died after suffering for about four 

 weeks. 



On November 26th my pupil, Oscar Kubach, using snake-root I had recently gathered, 

 broke up the stems and leaves of two plants and soaked them over night in about a pint of milk, 

 of which he gave about a gill at about 9 A. M. to his tom-cat. The cat took about one-half of it. 



About 9:30 it seemed to take effect and he tried very hard to vomit but could not. He 

 took long, deep breaths. He was quiet and wanted to sleep very hard. All of a sudden he 

 would tremble very hard, then again very little. A watery fluid passed from his eyes and 

 mouth. He chose a spot in the sun and when driven away walked back in a staggermg man- 

 ner. He had no appetite. His senses seemed to be duller, as he did not care for anything. 

 He went to sleep about 10:30 but did not sleep sound. He seemed to be in an unconscious 

 state for the rest of the day. The next morning about 10:30 he walked about three rods and 

 there died about noon. 



