WATER DROPWORT; a genus of the digynia order, belonging to the pentandra class of plants. There are five species; of which the most remarkable is the crocata, or hemlock dropwort, growing frequently on the banks of ditches, rivers, and lakes, in many parts of Britain. The roots and leaves of this plant are a terrible poison; several persons have perished by eating it through mistake, either for water-parsnips or for celery, which last it resembles pretty much in its leaves. So exceedingly deleterious is this plant, that Mr Lightfoot tells us, he has heard the late Mr Christopher d'Ehret, the celebrated botanic painter, say, that while he was drawing it, the smell or effluvia only rendered him so giddy, that he was several times obliged to quit the room, and walk out in the fresh air to recover himself; but recollecting at last what might be the probable cause of his repeated illness, he opened the door and windows of the room, and the free air then enabled him to finish his work without any more returns of the giddiness. Mr Lightfoot informs us, that he has given a spoonful of the juice of this plant to a dog, but without any other effect than that of making him very sick and stupid. In about an hour he recovered; and our author has seen a goat eat it with impunity. To such of the human species as have unfortunately eat any part of this plant, a vomit is the most OENOPTÆ, in Grecian antiquity, a kind of censors at Athens, who regulated entertainments, and took care that none drank too much, nor too little.