33 
(3) Plants taken by children and others by accident (such as attractive 
berries). 
With regard to the second and third classes we are afraid a very 
large number of cases of loss of life and serious illness are due to 
either gross ignorance or culpable carelessness, which a slight knowledge 
of our common poisonous plants might have averted. 
Let us consider what a poison is ; of course, we all know, but cannot 
define it. There are many definitions, but the following will probably 
answer our purpose : “ A poison is any substance or matter, which, when 
applied to the body outwardly or in any way introduced into it without 
acting mechanically, but by its own inherent qualities can destroy life ” 
(«). This is a medical definition, but the law takes no notice whether 
a substance acts mechanically or chemically, it is sufficient so far as 
the responsibility of the person administering it is concerned, that it is 
capable of destroying life or injuring health. 
The wording of section 11 of the Criminal Law Consolidation Act, 
1861 (/>), is very clear on this point, and prevents technical objections 
being raised. It runs “ whosoever shall administer or cause to be 
administered, or to be taken by any person any poison or other destruc¬ 
tive thintj, Ac.” This covers anything which might have injurious 
effects whether acting chemically or mechanically. 
For our purpose then we will take the broad view and include any 
plants which may act mechanically. 
In considering the various plants under the above heads, owing 
to their number, our notes must of necessity be brief. 
Plants used for criminal purposes. 
The first to notice is one of our deadly poisons, found in most 
gardens, the aconite or monkshood (Aconitum napellus). This plant 
has been the agent employed in several murders. The first case 
recorded is from Ireland (c). The aconite was supposed to have been 
mixed with some greens by the prisoner, but no traces of the plant 
were discovered, and it was only by the closest analysis of symptoms 
and post mortem appearances that the charge was sustained. The 
medical evidence proved only too true, for the prisoner, after 
conviction, confessed that the powdered aconite root had been mixed 
with pepper and sprinkled on the greens. 
Aconitine, the alkaloid of the plant, was the agent employed in the 
celebrated Lamson case (d). There Dr. Lamson was only convicted 
of the murder of his brother-in-law after a most lengthy trial and 
numerous experiments on animals by the medical experts. 
Laburnum (< 'ptisus laburnum) was the subject of a manslaughter trial 
at Inverness (e). Here a youth, by way of a practical joke, put some 
laburnum bark into his fellow servant’s broth and unfortunately killed 
him. 
The Water Parsnip or Hemlock Water Dropwort {penanthe crocata) 
was used in France for criminal purposes by mixing slices of the root 
pi) Guy and Ferrier, For. Med. 
(/>) 24 and 25 Viet., c. 100, Sec. 11. 
(<•) It. v. McKonkcv, Monaghan Lent Ass., 1841. 
\tl) K. v. Lamson, C.C.C., March, 1882. 
O') Ed. Med. H. J., October, 1843. 
