[Illustration: Bloodroot
_Sanguinaria canadensis--PAPAVERACEAE_]
=Description=: Perennial, low-growing herbs which appear early in
spring in shady, moist wooded areas. The many-petaled, white flower
frequently develops first on a stalk wrapped with a single large-lobed
leaf. The large underground stem (rhizome) and smaller roots of the
bloodroot contain an orange to red juice from which the plant gets its
name. This is poisonous.
=Poisonous Parts=: The underground stems, roots, and their
red contents. These contain several toxic alkaloids, chiefly
=sanguinarine=, which irritate the mucous membranes of the mouth,
throat, and stomach causing intense burning, nausea, and vomiting. If
absorbed, the alkaloids can affect the nervous system, depress the
heart, cause coma, and produce temporary paralysis.
=Antidote=: Call your doctor. Have patient vomit, and then give
warm milk. Physicians perform gastric lavage and treat irritated
gastro-intestinal tract. In the event that much of the root material
has been ingested and absorbed, measures should be taken to prevent
circulatory collapse.