586 KXPKRTMENT STATION RECORD. 



Examination of the Western Australian poison plants, E. A. Mann 

 (.four. Dc/it. A(/r. ]Vcsl. Aiist.. l.{ U'JOG). Xo. li. i,i>. 'iSG-'iUiK pJx. -').— A detailed 

 eheiiiical excniihi;ition was made of Oj-ijlohiiini ixirviponiin, for the purpose of 

 determining the presence of any poisonous principles in this plant. The method 

 used in making the analyses of the plant is described. An alkaloid was isolated 

 in a pure state and has been called lobine. It is very unstable as compared with 

 most alkaloids, but in many resi)ects resembles cygnin. 



In experiments to determine the physiological action of lobine it was found 

 that 0.1 gi-ain dissolved in water was sufficient to cause the death of a guinea 

 pig within 5 minutes after hypodermic inoculation. Further experiments will 

 be made in order to determine more accurately the symptoms and exact fatal 

 dose of the alkaloid. From a few experiments carried out in the laboratory it 

 appears that lobine is readily destroyed by permanganate of potash, and this 

 drug appears therefore to l)e a suitalile antidote. 



The harmful character of grape foliage sprayed with Bordeaux mixture, 

 Ade {Wchnschr. Ticrheilk. u. Viehsuvht, 60 {UJOG), \o. ,37. pf). 121-726).— On 

 account of the occurrence of cases in which cattle were poisoned or killed by 

 eating grape leaves, an examination was made into the possible causes of such 

 I)oisoning. It may be due to S])ecific substances in grape leaves, to poisonous 

 compounds prodnced by the presence of fungus diseases, to poisonous substances 

 developing in parasitic fnngi killed on the grape leaves as the result of spraying 

 with F>ordeaux nnxture. or to the copper contained in the latter. There appears 

 to be little ground for the supposition that the small amount of copper on grape 

 leaves sprayed with Bordeaux mixture is sufficient to cause cases of poisoning 

 which have been observed. 



Gastritis in cattle as a result of eating grape leaves, Ohler (Wc1in.'ic]n: 

 Tierheilk. i(. yic]i;:i(clil. r,ii {lUili;). \o. 3.i. pp. d'll-G'j.^ . — In .Inly and August of 

 every year, when grape vines are pruned, it is customary to feed the leaves to 

 cattle, and a considerable number of cases of gastritis have resulted. In some 

 cases, cows with young calves at their side may transmi-t the poisonous prop- 

 erties of infected grape leaves in the milk to such an extent as to kill the 

 calves. In the author's opinion, the trouble is at least partly due to the preva- 

 lence of the parasitic fungus Pcroiiospora viticola on the leaves. Affected leaves 

 decay rapidly and give out a striking and disagreeable odor. 



Poisoning by horse-radish, D. Fairbank (Vet. Rcc, 19 (1906), No. 946, pp. 

 117, IIS). — Symptoms of poisoning appeared among Hereford cattle and closely 

 resembled those of colic. Two of the animals died and a post-mortem examina- 

 tion, as well as a study of the condition under which the trouble arose, showed 

 that these were cases of poisoning from eating too much horse-radish root. 



Cirrhosis of the liver in stock in Cape Colony, produced by two species of 

 Senecio (Sebecio burchelli and S. latifolius), W. Uokkutson (Jouf. Coiiipar. 

 Path, and Thcr., 19 (1906), No. 2, pp. 97-110. fi(/s. .7).— It has been known for 

 some time that Sniccio burchelli causes a cirrhosis of the liver in live stock in 

 South Africa. Dnring an investigation of various cases of this disease the 

 author found that »S'. latifolliis might also cause the same disease with fatal 

 results. Detailed notes are given of the symptoms and the post-mortem findings 

 in these cdses. 



RUKAL ENGINEERING. 



Topography, C. Muret {TopofiraphU . I'liris: .J. li. BaiUiere & Sons, 1906, 

 /'/'■ V''. p/v. 9. fi<iK. 1K6). — A treatise on the jiractice of surveying, w'ith special 

 reference to its application in modern agriculture. It includes six chapters 



