A 4. ^ • U 5S / 15 UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE, BUREAU OF ANIMAL INDUSTRY, A. D. MELVIN, Chief of Bureau. '// ^ CICUTA (WATER HEMLOCK) AS A POISONOUS PLANT.^ By C. D. Marsh, A. B. Clawson, and H. Marsh, oJ the Pathological Division. Among poisonous plants special interest attaches to CiciTta, since it is probably the most violently poisonous of the plants in temperate regions. Although it is widely distributed and is annually the cause of many deaths, both of domestic animals and of human beings, its poisonous character, unfortunately, is not generally recognized. This is true in spite of the fact that the genus, which occurs in Europe as well as in America, has been known to be poisonous since the middle hi the seventeenth century, and many accounts have been written o' the terrible results from eating Cicuta roots. COMMON NAMES OF CICUTA. Cicuta has a considerable number of popular names. Perhaps it is most commonly known as "cowbane" or ''water hemlock." In the mountain regions of the West it is frequently called ''parsnip" or ■'wild parsnip." Other names, less common, are "snakeroot," 'snakeweed," "beaver poison," "muskrat weed," "spotted hem- lock," and "spotted parsley." HOW TO RECOGNIZE CICUTA. It is difficult and perhaps impossible to give a description of the plant which may be intelligible to one who has not some botanical knowledge. Figure 1, which shows a species found on the western coast of the United States, gives a general idea of the appearance of the plant. Cicuta is an umbelliferous plant, and belongs to the same family as the carrot, parsnip, etc. It grows in wet places and is especially common in some parts of the West along irrigating ditches. Un- fortunately it resembles rather .closely a number of harmless plants which grow under the same conditions. It has a thickened rDotstock, to which are attached roots which may be slender as in the picture (fig. 2) or may be in the form of a cluster of thickened, fleshy tubers. h the longitudinal section it will be noticed that the rootstock has a number of transverse chambers. These chambers are not always so dis- 1 A more extended account of Cicuta and its poisonous effects can be found in Bulletin 69, U. S. De- partment of Agriculture. This bulletin can be obtained from the Superintendent of Documents, Gov- vrnment Printing Office, Washington .D. C, for 10 cents. 87870-17 CICUTA AS A POISONOUS PLANT. tinct as shown in the illustration, but they are alwa^'s preswit, a^id it is by them that the plant is readily distinguished from most pianJ:s growing in similar situations. Botanists recognize several species, but they are very closely related and all have the chambered root- stock. So far as known, all the spe- cies are poisonous. THE POISONING OF HUMAN BEINGS. The curiosity of children, which often leads them to eat strange roots, is the cause of most of the cases of poisoning of human beings. Oc- casionally older peo- ple are affected with the same curiosity, with similar results. Cases of poisoning are more frequent in the spring, parti}' because the roots are more likely to be no- ticed at that time and partly because they seem to be more poisonous then than later in the season. Every year a consid- erable number of instances of poison- Fl(i. 1.— Leaves and flowers of Cicuta vagans {wnier hemiovk). u\cr are reOOrted tO the Bureau of Animal Industry of the Ignited States Department of Agriculture, but it is probable that only a small proportion of the actual number is made public. Many of these cases recover, but unfortunately the proportion of fatalities is large. THE POISONING OF LIVE STOCK. In the aggregate the loss of domestic animals fromCicuta poisoning is not large, but individual owners may lose rather heavily. Occa- sionally the stock eat roots that have been washed out by the high water in small streams. Farmers in their plowing sometimes bring CICUTA AS A POISONOUS PLANT. |o the surface a considerable number of roots, ajul these are eaten by cattle, with resulting sickness and death. It has been stated that jiter has been poisoned by roots broken by the trampling of cattle, tut these stories are not well authenticated. Most of the accounts of the loss of domestic animals refer to cattle, but sheep, horses, and swine are sometimes killed, and there is no doubt that Cicuta is poisonous to all the higher animals. SYMPTOMS OF CI- CUTA POISONING. The symptoms of Cicuta poisoning in man are pain in the stomach, nausea, sometimes leading to violent vomiting, diarrhea, dilated pu- pils, labored, ster- torous breathing, sometimes frothing at the mouth, w^eak and rapid pulse, and violent convulsions. In the lower ani- mals the symptoms are like those in man, but less pronounced. The first symptom is generally frothing at the mouth, foUowed and Fig. 2.— Rootstock and first leaves of Cicuta vagans. The upper figure shows the transverse chambers of the rootstock. by uneasiness pain. This is suc- ceeded by violent, intermittent convulsions in which the animal kicks, sometimes extending the legs rigidly, throwing back the head, and beUow^ing and groaning as though in great pain. There are pe- culiar spasmodic contractions of the diaphragm which take the place of vomiting in man. In fatal cases the convulsions grow more vio- lent until terminated by death, which results from respiratoryfailure. QUANTITY OF CICUTA NECESSARY TO POISON. The Cicuta root is extremely poisonous. Just how much must be eaten to produce ilhiess or death is not known, and the (quantity prob- ably varies. While there is reason to think that it is more poisonous UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA CICUTA 3 1262 08925 9609 in spring than later in the season, a very httle at any time of the yea may cause ilbiess or even death. PART OF THE PLANT POISONOUS. The rootstock of Cicuta is always poisonous. Cases have been reported of the poisoning of live stock from eating the tops, both green and in hay, but careful experiments by the Office of Poisonous- Plant Investigations have shown quite conclusively that there is no danger from the leaves or seeds, either w^hen eaten green or when dried in hay. Poisoning results only from the ingestion of the roots^ and the fact that Cicuta tops are sometimes gathered with the hay which is made on irrigated farms need give the farmer no concern^ provided the roots are not included. REMEDIES FOR CICUTA POISONING. In cases of the poisoning of human beings the recognized treatment is to give an efficient emetic, followed by a cathartic. Some form of opium may be given to control the convulsions when they are violent. If free vomiting is promptly produced, the patient is likely to recover. It is obvious that ruminant animals can not be treated in this way, for the effective clearing of the stomach is impossible. While hypo- dermic injections of morphin may be used to aid in controlling the convulsions and a purgative may help in eliminating the poison,, ordinarily the convulsions are so violent that nothing can be done for the animal. All cases of poisoning of domestic animals by Cicuta must be considered as practically hopeless, so far as treatment is con- cerned. All cases are not necessarily fatal, for many recover, but there is little, if anything, which can be done to aid recovery. So far as live stock are concerned, about all that can be done must be in the way of prevention. If the land is plowed where the plant grows, care should be taken that no roots are left where stock can get at them. Where the plants grow in great abundance, as the}^ frequently do along irrigating ditches, it is desirable to dig them out. When this is done the roots should not be left on the surface, but should be destroyed. It is seldom that stock are poisoned when grazing, unless they graze along ditches, where the plants sometimes grow almost in the water with ver\^ little soil and can easily be pulled up. Perhaps there is no way to prevent some cases of poisoning of children. Something might be accomplished, however, if parents and teachers would attempt to make clear to children the danger of eating strange roots. n^fl'yMgS/s^fegf^T. / OA<0 £> nkCD/^OlTPkDV WASHINGTON : GOVlOFiNMENT I'RINTING OP^KICE : ISIt