Note f — BOOK II.

Among poisonous Vegetables, none more famous of old than Hemlock, accounted at this Day also very dangerous to Man, of which there are some dismal Examples in our Phil. Trans. Wepfer, &c. But yet this Plant is Food for Goats, and its Seeds to Bustards; and as Galen saith, to Starlings also. Neither is this, so pernicious a Plant, only Food, but also Physick to some Animals. An Horse troubled with the Farcy, and could not be cured with the most famed Remedies, cured himself of it in a short Time, by eating Hemlock, of which he eat greedily. Vid. Phil. Trans. Nᵒ. 231. And a Woman which was cured of the Plague, but wanted Sleep, did with very good Effect eat Hemlock for some time; till falling ill again of a Fever, and having left off the Use of this Remedy, he [Nic. Fontanus] endeavoured to procure her Rest by repeated Doses of Opium, which had no Operation, till the Help of Cicuta was again called in with desired Success. Mead of Pois. p. 144.

And not only Hemlock, but many other, if not most Plants accounted poisonous, may have their great Use in Medicine: Of which take the Opinion of an able Judge, my ingenious and learned Friend Dr. Tancred Robinson, in a Letter I have of his to the late great Mr. Ray, of Nov. 7. 1604, viz. According to my Promise, I here send you a few Observations concerning some Plants, seldom used in Medicine, being esteemed poisonous, which if truly corrected, or exactly dosed, may perhaps prove the most powerful and effectual Medicines yet known. Having then given an Account of some of their Correctives, he gives these following Examples, viz. 1. The Hellebores incorporated with a Sapo, or Alkaly-Salts alone, are successful Remedies in Epilepsies, Vertigo’s, Palsies, Lethargies, and Mania’s. Dos. a ℈j. to ʒss. 2. The Radic. Assari, Cicutæ, and the Napellus, in Agues and periodical Pains. Dos. ℈j. to ʒss. 3. The Hyoscyamus in Hæmorrhagies, violent Heats and Perturbation of the Blood, and also in all great Inflammations. Dos. ℈j. to ʒss. 4. The Semen Stramonia is a very good Anodyne, useful in Vigilia’s, Rheumatisms, Hysterick Cases, in all the Orgasms of the Blood or Spirits, and where-ever there is an Indication for a Paregorick. Dos. ℈j. to ʒss. 5. Elaterium thus corrected, may be given from gr. x. to xv. in Hydropical Cases, without any sensible Evacuation or Disturbance. So may the Soldanella and Gratiola in greater Doses. 6. Opium corrected as afore-mentioned, loses its Narcotick Faculty, and may be given very safely in great Doses, and proves more than usually prevalent in Convulsive Cases, Fluxes, Catarrhs, and all painful Paroxysms, &c.