Soon after he had eaten of the above, he complained of a sensation of heat affecting the tongue and fauces; his teeth appeared loose; and it was very remarkable, although a looking-glass was produced, and his friends attempted to reason him out of the extravagant idea, yet he imagined that his face was swelled to twice its usual size.  By degrees the heat, wich at first only seemed to affect the mouth and adjacent parts, diffused itself over his body and extremities:  he had an unsteadiness and lassitue in his joints, particularly of the knees and ancles, with an irritable twitching of the tendons, which seemed to deprive him of the power of walking; and he thought that in all his limbs he perceived an evident interruption to the circulation of the blood.  A giddiness was the next symptom, which was not accompanied with nausea.  His eyes became watery, and he could not see distinctly; a kind of humming noise in his ears continually disturbed him, until he was reduced to the state of insensibility before described.

Plantae affines.

Although the mischief which is recited above occurred from the root having been purchased at market, I do not know of any vegetable in common use likely to be confounded with this.  It might by chance be mistaken for the smaller tubers of Jerusalem artichoke.

In foliage it comes near to the other species of Aconitum, and to the perennial Larkspurs.

However, as this is a plant much grown in pleasure-grounds on account of its beautiful blue flowers, great care should be taken not to use any roots taken from such places that cannot be well ascertained.

629.  Aconitum Lycoctonum.  Yellow wolfsbane.—­Every part of this plant is accounted poisonous.  In fact, I think it is proper that all the species should be considered as such, and never be made use of, either in medicine or otherwise, without great care in their administration.

630.  ACTAEA spicata.  Baneberry.—­This plant is also considered as a deadly poison; but we have no authentical accounts of its mischievous effects, although Parkinson has mentioned it in these words:—­

“The inhabitants of all the mountaines and places wheresoever it groweth, as some writers say, do generally hold it to be a most dangerous and deadly poison, both to man and beast; and they used to kill the wolves herewith very speedily.”

This is not a common plant, growing only in some particular situa-tions, as near Ingleborough in Yorkshire.

631.  Rhus Toxicodendron.  Poison-ash.-The juice of the leaves of this plant is so very acrid as often to corrode the skin, if the leaves are gathered when the dew is on them.  Great care should certainly be taken in the giving such a medicine internally, as also in its preparation, it being usually administered in a dried state.

Planta affinis.

Rhus radicans differs from this in having a more trailing habit of growth; otherwise it is scarcely different, so little so, as to baffle a distinction being made by description alone.