EUPHORBIA (See Encycl.). Of this plant three new species were discovered by Le Vaillant during his last travels into the interior parts of Africa. The first, which he calls the CUCUMBER-EUPHORBIA, adheres to the earth no otherwise than by a few slender roots. It rises to the height of nine or ten inches only; and exactly resembles a cucumber, of which it has the bent shape. It contains abundance of milky juice, which appeared to him as caustic as that of the great euphorbia. Its colour, which is a yellowish green, tinted with a beautiful shade of violet towards the root, gives it a very attractive appearance: but woe betide the man who should be tempted to eat of it! as it is a virulent poison. The second, to which he gave the name of the MELON-RIBBED EUPHORBIA, does not rise more than three or four inches from the ground, to which it adheres by a collection of fibrous roots, issuing from several tubercles disposed in the manner of a crown. The stem forms a flattened globe excavated at the summit, and has ribs like the apple which in France is called calville blanche. These ribs are elevated, thick, and convex, have a greenish colour, and are marked with brown transversal bands. From the summit of the ribs issue several little tufts of pedunculate flowers. The third he called the CATERPILLAR-EUPHORBIA, because when he first found it, he thought he perceived on it several beautiful caterpillars. The description of it in a few words is as follows: From a very large tuberous root, which here and there throws out a few thready fibres, issue several stalks almost of the length of the finger: they creep along the ground, are twisted, woody, destitute of leaves, and furnished with several rows of round tubercles, each guarded by two prickles.
All these kinds of euphorbia are to be dreaded, the last two in particular; because being low and mixed with the herbage like mushrooms, animals, as they feed, run the risk of eating them with their pasture. Our author confirms the account which has been given in the Encyclopaedia of the savages poisoning the reservoirs of water with this plant in order to procure the game which shall drink of it. To effect the death of the animal, it is necessary that the poison reach the blood and mingle with it. Yet, inconceivable as it may be, the animal, though poisoned, is not the less wholesome food,
food, as our author ſays he has experienced. However great may be the proportion of euphorbia thrown into a pond of water, he is perſuaded that it never diffuſes itſelf through the whole maſs. It is his opinion, that the poiſon is a reſinous juice, which, being from its nature incapable of combining with water, ſwims on the ſurface, and there forms a ſhining greeniſh oil, which with a little attention may be diſcerned by the naked eye when the ſurface is ſmooth. I tried (ſays he) the qualities of this oil on myſelf, taking with a ſtraw, from the ſurface of the baſin, a ſingle drop, which I put upon my tongue; and it gave me that kind of burning pain which a cauſtic occaſions. I then took up ſome water from the reſervoir in the hollow of my hand, and blowing off the oily fluid which ſwam on the ſurface, I dipped the end of my tongue into the remainder, but could not perceive in it the ſlighteſt taſte different from that of water itſelf. He ſeems to think that milk is an antidote to the poiſon of euphorbia; becauſe he ſqueezed ſome of the juice into a baſon of milk and gave it to an ape, which ſwallowed part of it without the leaſt injury. He confeſſes, however, that the doſe was triſling.