three years of age, and Robert his son, aged thirteen, ate the next morning about three o’clock; at five 
(two hours after) James became sick and giddy, felt pain and tightness in the calves of his legs, was con- 
fined at home the whole day, but on the following day was so far recovered as to be able to resume his work. 
Robert ate, during the day, about a pound and a half of this bread, and at night, on his return from his 
work, he ate more of the same ; he felt giddy, and had pain of the head during the whole of the first day, 
with great pain and tightness of the legs, especially of the calves of the legs, extending to the ancles, attended 
with redness, swelling, and itching of the skin. James, eleven years old — John, three — and Elizabeth, 
four — all partook of this bread the following morning about nine o’clock. They soon became giddy, 
were sick, their legs became painful, felt excessively tight, where swelled, inflamed and itched much, and 
continued in that state eight or nine days, when the symptoms gradually disappeared, producing in one of 
them only (James) a small collection of a gelatinous fluid in the inside of the foot. But with Robert, who 
ate with his father at three o’clock in the morning, and also in the evening, the pain and inflammation con- 
tinued to increase till it terminated in gangrene ; sphacelus succeeded, and he was under the necessity of 
suffering amputation of both legs. Very little general fever accompanied this till the latter stage of the 
disease, which, it is presumed, was the effect of absorption. The remedies made use of in this case (and 
that too without any sensible advantage,) were, in the beginning, evacuants ; in the latter state, camphor and 
bark, with the use of spirituous fomentations and antiseptic cataplasms. It should however be remarked, 
that this poor family lived at seven or eight miles from medical assistance, and therefore they were not at- 
tended till two or three days after their attack. 
“In several cases which have since occurred, as soon as the legs became painful, attended with inflamma- 
tion and swelling, scarifications were made of considerable length and depth, which, with evacuants in the 
very first stage, and afterwards large doses of camphor, with nitre and opium, occasionally, have been 
attended with success.” 
In the second volume of the “Histoire de la Society Roy ale de Medicine a Paris, it is likewise stated that 
a farmer, his wife, and servant, ate bread made with darnel and wheat. The two latter were attacked with 
sickness, and refused to partake of more. The farmer continued to use it the three following days, and died 
after suffering the most severe colicky pains. But the affection of the calves of the legs, as noticed by Mr. 
Marsh is not spoken of. 
During the blockade of Genoa, in 1800 , some speculators in grain, mixed darnel with wheat, in their 
supplies. And a family of five individuals having eaten of flour bought in the public market, were all of 
them soon after seized with dimness of sight ; confusion of ideas ; prostration of strength ; trembling ; rest- 
lessness ; depression of spirits ; and cold rigors, especially in the extremities. These were most severe ; 
and continued longest in the maid servant, who had eaten the largest quantity. 
Dr. Cordier, in a paper addressed to M. Orfila, describes the effects produced upon himself by the in- 
gestion of bread made of the farina of the seed of Lolium temulentum. It was taken in the quantity of six 
drachms, without other food, early in the morning ; and had a peculiar slightly disagreeable taste. Dis- 
traction of thought ; indistinct vision ; torpor, accompanied with general uneasiness, debility, and drowsiness 
succeeded by sickness speedily came on. Tremor of the limbs ; part of the bread rejected; great depression ; 
speech difficult; slept for a few minutes ; rejected the remainder of the bread with much colourless mucus ; 
slept again at intervals, taking only a little soup, without appetite, till evening, when weakness . and inap- 
petence only remained. Next day, convalescent; but yet a sense of uneasiness accompanied by eruc- 
tions of a peculiar taste, continuing on the following days, and still perceptible in bread containing some 
portion of darnel. Dr. Corder was prevented from ascertaining the state of the circulation, and respiration 
by the general disorder of the system. He concludes from it, that darnel should be ranked amongst the 
stupifying narcotic poisons ; and that its action is especially exerted on the cerebral and nervous system. 
The position of many naturalists, respecting the similarity of properties possessed by plants of the same 
natural family, meets here with an exception.* 
Medical Properties and Uses. — It will hence appear that both ancient and modern writers fully 
agree as to the intoxicating qualities of darnel grass; and from its resemblance to barley, we fear that beer 
not unfrequently owes its powers to it; being credibly informed, by an eminent practical botanist, that two 
acres of ground in Battersea fields, were lately cultivated with it ; and we know no other purpose to which 
it could be applied. As a medicine, it is not now employed : but was used internally by the ancients in 
cephalalgia, sciatica, gout, &c. and Aretaeus administered it in pleurisy. According to Boerhaave, “it re- 
sists putrefaction, if applied externally; and from its cleansing quality, proves highly efficacious in disorders 
of the skin.” Galen applied it to wounds mixed with vinegar; and Celsus recommended the meal of Lolium 
to be used in poultices. “Gravioribus vero doloribus urgentibus, cataplasma imponi quoque conveniet, vel 
ex lolio, vel ex hordeo, cui pinguis fici tertia pars sit adjecta.” 
* Vide Med. Repository, vol. xiii. p. 260. 
