FiTCHETT. — Physiological Action of Tiilin. 289 



Elephants. — Sir Julius von Haast (12) records the death of an elephant 

 from tutu-poisoning. The animal was marched inland by its owner for a 

 considerable distance, and on arriving at a suitable halting-place, where the 

 vegetation was abundant, was allowed to feed. The grass had been burnt 

 off during the previous season, and had shot up again, together with a large 

 crop of tutu-shoots. The elephant fed for four hours, and then drank freely 

 from a neighbouring stream. It then began to reel, fell on the ground, and 

 died in three hours. 



Sheep and Cattle. — The following extract from a letter received from the 

 manager of a large sheep-station gives an excellent account of the effects of 

 tutu upon sheep : " The effect on sheep is that they will stand still, trembling 

 as if palsied, froth at the mouth, with their jaws going continually, and their 

 teeth grinding. Suddenly they will fall over, with their limbs rigid, as if 

 suffering from strychnine poisoning. If assisted on to their legs they are 

 absolutely mad, and will rush against a fence or over a precipice, and will 

 pay no attention to man, or dog, or animals of their own kind. With animals 

 that have eaten less of the plant, symptoms do not appear unless they are 

 disturbed, and then the effect is shown with terrible suddenness ; a bark 

 from a dog or a sudden run for a few yards will be almost certain to start 

 the poison to work. In cases like the above, however, the affected sheep 

 generally recover if left alone." In their wild career they often injure 

 themselves against obstacles, or rush into creeks and are drowned. More 

 frequently they die in convulsions. 



Cattle are similarly affected, but the wild delirium is even more marked 

 in their case. Popularly they are said to go mad ; and the wild way in 

 which they wheel round and round, gallop aimlessly about, kicking, charging, 

 and rushing blindly against rocks and other obstacles, lends colour to the 

 popular opinion. The wild career continues until the animal, overcome 

 by exhaustion, falls to the ground, becomes comatose, and dies in con- 

 vulsions. 



In the light of this account, the symptoms displayed by one of Captain 

 Cook's animals is interesting : " The ram was taken with fits, bordering 

 on madness. . . . One night he was seized with one of these fits and 

 ran headlong into the sea, but soon came out again, and seemed quite easy. 

 Presently after he was seized with another fit, and ran along the 

 beach . . . and was never seen more " (13). 



Animals are frequently found distended with gas, " blown " after death. 

 This is probably due to rapid fermentation of the leaves ingested, and is 

 similar to the condition met with in cattle after eating freely of clover. 

 As with clover, it is more pronounced when the tutu is eaten wet. 



Effect on Human Beings. 



The symptoms of poisoning by the plant in the human subject include 

 vomiting, giddiness, delirium, great excitement, stupor, coma, and con- 

 vulsions. 



In a fatal case reported in the Otago Colonist of the 25th October, 1861, 

 the physician who attended the case stated in his evidence at the inquest 

 that he found the child perfectly pale, with teeth clenched. The breathing 

 was difficult, the lips livid, and the pupils much dilated. For about five 

 minutes the rigidity went off. and the pupils contracted ; but a relapse 

 occurred, the teeth were set again, and the child gradually sank back, 

 " without any symptom of convulsion or suffering." In this case it was the 

 10— Trans. 



