114 FLORA HOM(EOPATHICA. 



fructification the acridity and virtue of the plant reside in the 

 root and blossom, or rather in the germ. The fibres of the root 

 are acrid previous to the period of fructification, but afterwards 



they lose all their power.* 



Physiological Effects. — From the acrid properties it may 

 easily be supposed that this class of plants exerts a prejudicial 

 influence on animal creation. 



On Animals. — Krapf (op. cit.) states that five ounces of the 

 juice of the R. acris killed a stout dog in twelve hours, when 

 taken internally. Two drachms of the aqueous extract applied 

 to a wound killed another in twelve hours, by inducing the 

 usual inflammation. In another experiment with the Ranun- 

 culus sceleratus, the dog became anxious, howled, tossed about, 



bent double, was very restless at night; on being killed, the 



stomach was found contracted, inflamed in several parts, red, 



with erosions on the inner surface ; the papillae very prominent, 



tumefied, and pale ; redness and contraction of the pylorus, 

 which was hardly pervious. 



Grazing cattle carefully avoid the plant of this genus ; ac- 

 cordingly we find the flowers of the Ranunculi untouched, 

 although the grass is cropped close all round them. Sometimes 

 the nostrils and mouths of cattle are found much excoriated, 

 which probably arises from their having taken some of these 

 plants in their food. 



In the Pan. Suecicus some experiments upon these plants are 

 detailed. It is there stated that horned cattle eat all the specie 



Locality, season, and fructification, occasion a great difference in the quantity 

 and strength of the acrid principle, especially, however, in the quality, to such a 

 degree that several varieties of the Ranunculus, such as R. Thora, R. sceleratus, 

 R. bulbosus, and R. acris, are very poisonous ; others less so, and others entirely 

 harmless. Others, as the R. repens, R. auricomus, and even the R. sceleratus, have 

 been, after being boiled, eaten as vegetables. In dry soils, the R, sceleratus loses a 

 good deal of its power, so that horses may eat it, as is the case in some parts of 

 Scotland \ whereas no animal, except goats and sheep, would eat it in the mea- 

 dows. The property of the Ranunculus losing its acridity when dried, is the 

 cause why all herbivorous animals can eat the different varieties in hay. 



