« MmCELLANE0U8 NOTES. 307 



Of course the purely local systems of treatment for all camels' diseases are 

 (1) branding, preferably as far away from the seat of the disease as possible, 

 e.g., heal for a toothache and (2) ghi, kerosine oil and sweet oil in varying 

 proportions internally or externally. But 1 have never met any one yet 

 who really knew anything about camels, 



J. E. B. HOTSON, Capt , i.a.k.o. 

 Panjgue, via NusHKi, 

 March 1918. 



[The Revd. E. Blatter, S. J., commenting on the above query writes : 



Before speaking of the poisonous qualities of the plant mentioned by 

 Capt. Hotson, 1 wish to make a remark on a systematic point regarding 

 two species of Nerium. 



Nerium odorum, Soland., has been found up to now in Afghanistan, Balu- 

 chistan (Persian as well as British) up to 6,000 feet, in the outer N. W. 

 Himalaya up to 5,500 feet, in Central India and China. It has a predelec- 

 tion for rocky stream beds or ravines and river beds which are dry in 

 winter. It is generally grown in Indian gardens with single and double 

 white or pink flowers. Neiium oleander, L., however, is a common shrub in 

 the Mediterranean region, Western Asia, Syria and Kurdistan. Kirtikar 

 wrote in Vol. XI, p. 254 of this Journal : " it must now be considered 

 that the Nerium odorum . . . is no other than the Nerium oleander of the 

 Mediterranean coast, barring developmental differences due to climatic 

 influences. Linnaeus is after aU right in considering that they were 

 identical plants. However much the corolla may vary in the two plants, 

 we have the high and unquestionable authority of Brandis that the fact 

 of a mere climatic variation of the corolla does not afford distinctive 

 characters of a reliable kind. Special parts luay vary, but yet their variation 

 need not go to multiply varieties which may reasonably be classed under one 

 and the same species." 



It seems to me that, if we want to settle this point, we have to compare 

 wild-growing specimens of the two species. It is no use taking plants which 

 have been under cultivation for a long period. Capt. Hotson has sent us 

 specimens of what we consider to be Nerium odorum from various parts of 

 Persian and British Baluchistan as well as from Makran. In most cases we 

 are sure that they have not been introduced or cultivated in those localities. 

 They differ from Nerium oleander in the following points : — The plant is less 

 robust ; the leaves are commonly narrow and more distant ; the branches 

 are angled ; the calyx lobes are erect (in wild specimens of Nerium oleander 

 they are spreading); the appendages of the corona are cleft into numerous 

 fdiform segments, or are trifid, the lateral segments being linear, the 

 central one short-triangular (whilst in Neiium odorum the segments 

 of the appendages are short, irregular, and not linear or filiform ; the 

 appendages of the anthers are protruding ( not protruding in N. oleander) ; 

 the fruit is 6-9 inches long (in N. oleander 3-6 inches), the flowers are frag- 

 rant (in N. oleander inodorous). I am inclined to think that all these 

 differences taken together justify our retaining N. odorum as a distinct 

 species. 



Now to the poisonous qualities of the shrub. Here we need not make 

 any distinction between the two species, as experience has shown that both 

 exhibit the same toxic properties. Pliny is the first to mention the Olean- 

 der. He writes : " The rhododendron (our Oleander) has not even found 

 a name in Latin. They call it rhododaphne or 7ierium. It is strange that its 

 leaves should be poisonous to aU quadrupeds, but to man an antidote 

 against snake-bite, if they are taken in wine together with rue. Also 

 cattle and goats are said to die if they drink of the water in which the 



