266 Agricultural Gazette of N.S.W. [.47>n7 3, 1920. 



The injurious effects on live stock (horses, cattle, sheep, and goats) as a 

 result of eating St. John's Wort have been noted on a number of occasions, 

 and for extracts concerning these the writer is indebted to an article bjr 

 T. B. Rogers, D.V.S., entitled " On the action of St. John's Wort as a 

 ssensitising agent foi- non-pigmented skin,' Amn'i<mn Veterinary Bevieto, 

 November, 1914. It has been recorded as atlecting animals in various parts 

 of the world, viz., Tunis, Asia Minor, Southern France, Italy, and the United 

 States of America. In Tunis (where the plant is known as "hamra") and in. 

 Italy, special reference is made to its effect on sheep. This is of interest, as 

 experiments I have co)iducted in this State were carried out with sheep. It 

 was also observed in tho.se countries that only white-fleeced sheep suffered from, 

 the effects of eating the plant, whilst those with black fleeces entii'ely escaped. 

 Indeed, it is stated that for this reason black sheep only were pastured 

 in the neighbourhood of Taranto, where St. John's Wort is very prevalent- 



C. Baillet recorded in 1862 that feeding experiments were attempted with 

 St. John's Wort at Toulouse on sheep, as it was considered that the plant 

 was causing injury to animals grazing on it, but the expeinmental animaLs- 

 would not eat it unless very hungry. The results were negative ; but the 

 experiments were made on permanently stabled animals, which were thus kept 

 in a shaded place. In Tunis, where the condition resulting from eating this 

 plant has been known for some years, it was found that stabling or other 

 protection of the animals from direct sunlight was quite sufficient to prevent 

 an attack or to check it. The Arabs use solutions of tobacco or henna to protect 

 sheep ; this stains the skin and appears to render it less permeable to sunlight. 

 In North America St. John's Wort was considered to be the cause of eruptions 

 on cows' udders and the lower extremities of the limbs of white-haired 

 animals. It is also stated that one horse died from the effects of eating 

 St. John's Wort, and that two in the same mob were killed in order to 

 prevent further suffering. Steel, in 1893, quoting from •' Monell in the 

 American Shepherd," attributed to St. John's Wort, irritation of the skin in 

 sheep, sometimes extending over the whc^le body and legs. He considered 

 that if eaten in too large quantities it produced enteritis, fatal in lambs^ 

 and 8ometim(^s in adults, denoted by fantastic capers and various other 

 peculiarities in behaviour. 



With regard to the symptoms seen in horses, it would appear from various 

 writers that they are more serious than those observed in sheep, the 

 symptoms in the former being loss of appetite, debilitated and dejected 

 appearance, staggering gait, dullness of senses, and injection of nmcous mem- 

 Vjranee. The anunals assume various positions and finally become comatose. 

 The white parts of the skin redden, swell and itch, and the animal bites and 

 rubs at them until they are quite raw. The interesting feature of the 

 condition as it affects any species of animal is that symptoms only become 

 evident when the animal is exposed to full .sunlight, and only in animals 

 having unpigmented or only lightly pigmented skin. 



The chief constituents of St. John's Wort are a volatile oil, a resinous 

 substance, tannin urul colouring matters; alcoholic extracts are a deep red 



