On Poisonous Plants

and they show their effect in various parts of the human body, receiving various names. For they were called Diuretics original: "Diuretica"; medicines that promote the production of urine when they act upon the urinary tracts. Incidents original: "Incidentia"; substances thought to 'cut' or break down thick fluids when they easily dissolve all viscous matter. Antiscorbutics original: "Antiscorbutica" when they primarily place a barrier against Scurvy. Errhines original: "Errhina" when they irritate the olfactory nerves and excite sneezing. Laxatives original: "Laxantia" when they moderately lead the bowels; Drastics original: "Drastica" when they violently expel the contents of the bowels with griping pains. Rubefacients original: "Rubefacientia" when, applied externally to the skin, they lightly irritate the epidermis. Epispastics original: "Epispastica" when they corrode the skin more strongly. Vesicants original: "Vesicantia" when, by irritating the skin most strongly, they raise it into a blister and cause a more abundant flow of lymph. Remedies of this kind not infrequently take on the nature of a most sharp poison and must at least be used internally with caution. To this class are referred many from the class Tetradynamia A Linnaean botanical class characterized by four long and two short stamens, mostly the mustard family, such as Lepidium Pepperweed, Armoracia Horseradish, Cochlearia Scurvy-grass, Raphanus Radish, Brassica Cabbage/Mustard, Sinapis Mustard; and not a few from the class Polyandria Plants with many stamens, specifically Ranunculus Buttercup, Atragene, Clematis, Adonis, Anemone, and the Piperitae Peppery plants. The Lactescents Milky-sap plants such as Euphorbia Spurge, Elaterium Squirting cucumber, Gummi Gutta Gamboge, Ricinus Castor oil plant, Bryonia; the Contortae Plants with twisted flower buds such as Ipecacuanha, and the Convolvulaceae such as Jalappa and Scammonium.

7. Anodynes original: "Anodyna"; pain-relievers, primarily enemies to animal life and, unless used cautiously, exceedingly poisonous, sleep-inducing, apoplectic, and lethal. In painful diseases they dull the senses; in spasmodic and convulsive disorders these are the best and most certain prescribed remedies, as they are in mental diseases. In a smaller dose they remove pains and anxieties, they exhilarate, and they intoxicate; in a larger dose they confound the operations of the mind, suspend the memory, excite insanity and mania, and are capable of bringing about death. Thus even the most "heroic" A medical term for powerful, fast-acting drugs that carry significant risk medicines, unless the most prudent account of the dosage is held, can turn out to be these most noxious and deadly poisons. Their poisonous...