Tortious of the cicuta are shown in Figure 1 v''' ;lt <" ' . where the 

 oompound leaves, small Bowers in large umbels, the cluster of fleshy 



roots, the hollow stem and other details are to he seen. The whole 

 plant is pervaded with an aromatic oil that is most abundant ill the 

 spindle-shaped roots, one to three inches long, arranged in a cluster 

 at the base of the stein. The poisoning of the human i< chiefly with 

 se fleshy roots, and in the springtime when children, in particu- 

 lar, are in the habit of roaming over the fields and swamp-;, and with 

 their appetite Bhafpened by the dry foods of winter, are ready to eat 

 any succulent green stems or roots. In 1896 in New Jersey alone 

 ther | least two quadruple cases of children poisoned by this 



•r hemlock, resulting in two deaths. In the- a- i< usual. 



the roots had been unearthed by ditchers and left exposed, to attract 

 the eye and tempt the appetite of children. Words of caution 

 3G I to those who leave these roots in sight in earth 

 thrown from trenches, and to parents and teachers, for children are 

 apt to eat the juicy roots if at hand and no warning has been given 

 them. 



The active principle of this cicuta is the volatile alkaloid conine, 

 common also to the poison hemlock (Cbntum maculatum I..), to be 

 considered later, and probably also to a resinou9 substance, cicutoxine. 

 The - f the poisoning are many, including violent contrac- 



tion <>f muscles, dilated pupils, vomiting, diarrhoea and epilepsy. 

 Cases of bub] ted poisoning should always he placed in the hands 

 -cilled physicians, and they are never more needed than when the 

 cicu: - cause. No antidote for conine-poisoning is known, and 

 therefore the treatment must be largely the speedy removal of the 

 toxic principle from the digestive system by use of stomach-pump 

 and emetics. 



Growing abundantly as does this plant in the lowlands, its eradica- 

 tion is difficult, and therefore there is all the greater need of knowing 

 the appearance and poisonous nature of the plant. Everyone should 

 refrain from eating swamp roots, and, in fact, those of any locality 

 unless cTtain that they are harmless. If a low pasture contains the 

 poisonous plant, it may be well to eradicate it by pulling the roots. 



< >ther common names for the water hemlo I 



are ''cowhane," "- hemlock," "spotted parsley," "beaver 



poison," "musquash mu-kr. and ' wild parsnip. " 



*The photographs fr>m which the four platen in ihifl 1> illetin were m > !•■ ir^- taken 

 from ihe excellent 1 - moui tml medicinal plant! made bjf I>r.< . 



I. Lochman. 



