PERFIDY. 
217 
offer no remedy. Calm sleep at length re¬ 
lieved them from this sad inebriation. But 
what were the feelings of the poor mother, 
when informed, on the morrow, that she had 
given to her children a poison like that of the 
viper. This poison, concentrated in the dis¬ 
tilled water, or the essential oil of the almond 
laurel, is so violent, that it is sufficient, when 
it comes in contact with the slightest wound, 
to kill the most robust man. The sale of 
this deadly poison is strictly forbidden in Ita¬ 
ly; yet, notwithstanding, some greedy dis¬ 
tillers have sold it under the name of extract 
of bitter almond. We should therefore cau¬ 
tion all persons against its use. It was for¬ 
merly much used to give a flavour to pud¬ 
dings, custards, &c.; but this practice is much 
less frequent since it has been ascertained to 
be so poisonous in its effects. 
