OCR Text |
Show VOMIC NUT, OR POISON NUT. VIRTUES, It has been given and recommended by foreign physicians as a vermifuge, in rheumatism, gout, canine madness, dysentery, and mania; but such powerful remedies require a very cautious hand, and morefacts in their favour, before we would recom. mendtheir application. The nux vomica is chiefly employed for the destruction of vermin. It is quickly fatal to dogs, hares, foxes, wolves, rabbits: and Lourciro relates, that a horse died in four hoursafter taking a drachmof the seed. I'rom examinationafter death, it appears that it does not act upon the stomach or bowels, but immediately on the nerves by its narcotic power. A scruple will destroy a large dog, and four grains has killed a cat. In a small quantity it is fatal to rats, which are readily destroyed by the following method :— In or near the place frequented by rats, place on slate or tile one or two table-spoonfuls of dry oatmeal. Layit thin, and press it flat, that it maybe easily ascertained what is taken away. The rats, if not interrupted, will come regularlythere to feed ; supply them withfresh oatmeal for two or three days; and COMMON WINTER CHERRY. PHYSALIS. ALKEKENGL then, well mixing, in about six table-spoonfuls of dry oatmeal, three drops of oil of aniseeds, feed them with it for two or three days more. Afterward, for-one day, give them half the quantity of this scented oatmeal which they have before eaten; and, next day, the following mixture: To four ounces of dry oatmeal, scented with six drops of oil of aniseeds, add half an ounce of the poison-nut powder, poundedveryfine in a mortar, andsifted throughfine muslin. Mix this with the scented oatmeal; lay it en the tile or slate, let the rats eat it, without interruption, for twenty-four hours. A few hours after eating any of it, they will be seen running about, as if drunk or paralytic ; but they generally, at last, retire to their haunts, and die. When they have, during the twenty-four hours, eaten only a small portion, leave the ‘remainder of the mixture twenty-four hours longer; after which it will be best to burn what is left, a fresh mixture being preparedat sotrifling an expense when wanted. The doors of the place where. the mixture is exposed to the rats, should be kept shut, to prevent them from being disturbed, and to keep children and domestic animals from getting at it Class V. Pentandria. Order I. Monogynia. Essent. Gen. Cuar. Corolla rotate: Stamina conniving: Berry within the calyx, inflated, bilocular, Spec. Cuar. Leaves in pairs, entire, acute: Stem herbaceous, beneath subramous. Ea DESCREPTION., Tue root of this plant is perennial, but it dies down every year. The leaves are alternate, sometimes two together, of an uregular shape, undulated, pointed, veined. Calyx permanent, becoming a large, orbicular, pentangular, inflated membrane, encompassing the berry, whichis two-celled, and contains numerous flat kidney-shaped seeds. HISTORY. It is a native of the south of Europe, commonin our gardens, and has beencultivated ever since the time of Gerarde, in 1597. It flowers from July till September, and ripens its fruit in Oc- tober, |