t 
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ONIUM MACULATUM. HeMLOCK 
CONIUM Linruei Gen. PI. Pentandria Digynia. 
Rail. Syn. Gen. n. UmbelliFera Herba. 
CONIUM maculatum feminibus flriatis. Linn. Syfi. Veget ab. p. 229. 
CICUTA Haller, bijl. helv. n. 766. v. 1. p. 33 y. 
CONIUM maculatum. Scopoli FI. Carniol. p. 207; 
CICUTA major Bauhin. Pin. 160. 
CICUTA Gerard emac. 1061. 
CICUTA vulgaris major Parkinfon 933. Rail Syn. p. 215. Hudjon FI. 
■ p. 100. Slorck. Cicut. Suppi, p. 7, 
RADLJf biennis, Craflitudine digiti, longa ufque ad pe- 
dalem, in crura faepe divifa, juniori Paflinaca; 
haud diffimilis, odoris gravis, et faporis fubdul 
cis : fecundo anno in caulefcente planta fucco 
fere caret, firma folidiorque evadit. 
CAULIS orgyalis, feres, nitidus* larvis, fiflulofus, ad 
bafin craffitie pollicis, rore glauco tectus, et 
'maCulis' fanguineis- pictus, verius fummitatem 
ramofus, et.flriatus. 
FOLIA inferiora magna, etiam bipedalia, atro-virentia, 
nitentia, multip licato-pinnata, pinnulisoblongis 
incifo-ferratis ; Spatha fulcata. 
INFLORESCENTIA. Umbella univerfalis Radiis pluri- 
mis patentibus flriatis ; partialis conlimilisi 
CALYX : Involucrum univerfale e foliolis 5—7 conflat, 
lanceolato acuminatis, reflexis, margine albidis, 
fig. 1 ; partiale 3 aut 4 dimidiatis, extrorfum 
patentibus, figi 2. 
COROLLA : Petala quinque, alba, inasqualia, in- 
flexo -cordata, fig. .3. 
STAMINA : Filamenta quinque, alba, longitudine 
Corolla; ; Anthera alb x,fig. 3, 
PISTILLUM: St yli duo, albi, filiformes^ non admo- 
dum breves ; Stigmata fubrotunda ; Ger- 
men inferum, flriatum, fig. ,3, 4. 
FRUCTUS fubfotundus, e binis i feminibus fufcefcenti- 
bus componitur, hinc planiufculis, illinc gibbis, 
cum Jlriis quinque elevatis crenulatis , fig. 4, 5. 
ROOT biennial, the thicknefs of ones finger, from fix 
inches to a foot in length, frequently forked, 
and not unlike that of a young Parfnep, of a 
difagreeable fmell and fweetifh tafle : in the fe- 
cond year of its growth when the plant has a 
flowering flem, it becomes drier, more firm and 
folid. 
STALK about fix inches high, round, fhining, finooth 
and hollow, at bottom the thicknefs of ones 
^ thumb, covered with a blueifh kind of powder 
I which eafily wipes off, and fpotted with red, to-' 
I . wards the top branched and flriated, 
t REAVES. The bottom leaves large, even two feet long, 
i of a dark green colour ana fhining, many times 
I pinnated, the pinnula; oblong and lharply cut in ; 
& the Spatha grooved. 
I INFLORESCENCE. The Universal Umbell is compofed 
f of many flriated and fpreading Radii ; the Par - 
f tial Umbell fimilar to it. 
CALYX : the Univcrfial Involucrum confifls of 5 or * leaves, 
which are lanceolate, turned back, andVhitifh 
at the edges, fig. 1 : the P artial Involucrum is 
compofed of 3 or 4 leaves, which fufround one 
half of the flalk only, and fpread outward, fig. 2. 
COROLLA : Petals five, white, unequal, heart-fhaped, 
and. bent in at top, figt 3 
STAMINA: Filaments five, white, the length of the' 
Corolla ; Antherje white, fig. q. 
PISTILLUM: Germen beneath the Corolla, flriated, 
f&‘ 3* 4 » Styles two, filiform and not very 
fhort ; Stigmata, round* fig. 3. 
FRUIT is roundifh, and compofed of two brownifh feeds, 
flattifh on one fide and round on the other, with 
five notched and' elevated ridges, fig. 4, 5, 
THE powerful! deleterious properties of this herb have been iong known, and acknowledged bv all botanic writers * 
whence it has been commonly ranged in the clals of Vegetable' Poifons. And as fuch aftive principles unde? 
fkilful management, _ are likely to aflord the mofl efficacious remedies, this plant has been a lfo admitted as an 
article ot the Materia Medica. Until lately however, the ufe of it was- chiefly confined to external applications 
where its narcotic^ qualities may undoubtedly affifl in aflwaging pain, forwarding fuppu ration, &c< But in the 
year 1760, Dr. Storck, a famous Practitioner at Vienna, publifhed a treatile on Hemlock, recommending; 
an extract made of the infpiflated juice of the herb to be taketi internally, from four grains to fixty, or upwards, every 
day as a cure for the Schrophula, Cancer , and others of the mofl terrible and inveterate diforders incident to 
the human body. 
. Our Phyficians though laudably cautious of admitting or milling to novelties, received Dr. Storck’' s publica- 
tion with uncommon ardour, and perhaps no new medicine w r as ever more immediately or generally tried than 
this Extra Hum CicuLe. The fuccefs however not anfwering their expectation, led fome to think they had mifla- 
ken the plant. 1 he Author was applied to, and this produced a fupplement (printed 1764) wherein the fpecies 
is figured, and clearly fhewn to be the Conium maculatum of Linnaus. It were to be wilhed this had cleared 
up all difficulties. In his firfl treatife the DoClor tells us that the frefh root fliced, yielded a bitter acrid milk, of 
which a Angle drop or two being applied to the tip of his tongue, prefently rendered it painful, rigid, and 
lo much levelled that he could not fpeak. Yet it is certain that the roots of our Hemlock may be chewed 
and fwallowed in confiderable quantities without producing any fehfible effeCl. Mr. Alciiorne (who I believe 
was the firfl that laudably exerted himfelf in invefligating this matter,) allures me that he has tried this in 
every feafon of the Year, and in moft parts of our Bland, without finding any material difference : and that 
he 
