the Conium maculatum of botanists; is an umbelliferous plant possessing narcotic and powerful poisonous properties. It may readily be distinguished from most other umbelliferous plants by the numerous dark purple spots which cover its smooth stem and leaf stalks, and by the strong heavy odour, resembling that of mice, which it exhales. The poisonous properties reside in every part of the plant, and are owing to the presence of a peculiar volatile oleaginous alkaloid, called conia or concine, capable of forming salts with acids, which are equally energetic as the conia itself.

It was long doubted whether this plant furnished the sewor or poison with which the ancient Greeks despatched their state prisoners, and which the death of Socrates has immortalized. This obscurity appears to have resulted from the circumstance that the symptoms observed in cases of reputed poisoning with the roots of this plant were different from those attributed to the ancient state poison—a difference now explained from other roots having been mistaken for it. Recent research has now, however, demonstrated that the action of this plant as a poison closely corresponds with the description given by Plato of the action of the state poison, so that no reasonable doubt now exists as to its identity. Hemlock is an energetic poison, especially in the form of its alkaloid conia, causing rapid death by inducing general paralysis of the muscles, and consequent stoppage of the breathing; without bringing on convulsive spasms or insensibility. In medicine hemlock has been much used in the form of poultices of the fresh leaves in cancerous affections, and seems to relieve the lancinating pain by its narcotic action. It is also applied externally in the form of poultices, extract, tincture, &c., to glandular tumours, scrofulous sores, &c.; and internally it has been administered in cancerous and strumous affections, enlargements of the liver, spleen, and glands, chronic catarrh, hooping-cough, neuralgia, hypertrophy of the heart and other affections attended with an excited state of the circulation. Its virtues, however, have not been sufficiently investigated.