RANUNCULUS. 



115 



offered, except R. auricomus. Horses eat R. Jlammula, and 

 reject the other species. Sheep and goats eat R. acr'is ; whilst 

 the R. repens has a peculiar effect on sheep. Some curious 

 symptoms were observed : several fell down as if struck by 

 lightning; the eyes rolled; the breathing was hurried and 

 aggravated. Some reeled and died, with their heads bent 

 towards the left groin ; the mucous membrane of the eyes 

 was injected ; the mouth dry ; the abdomen was slightly dis- 

 tended; rumination ceased. Some of them raised them- 

 selves, reeled, and fell down again, bleating piteously. Most 

 of the sheep were in a profound coma. Sulphuric ether in 

 milk gave most relief; great weakness of the feet remained 



behind. 



Mr. Sowerby {Brit. Boian., vol. v.) has these remarks on the 

 action of Eanunculus bulbosus on cattle : " The whole plant is 

 acrid, and not a good food, if eaten at all unmixed by cattle ; 

 but as nature does nothing in vain, and has abundant resources, 

 it is not improbable that such plants, mixed with less pungent 

 herbage, may act as a useful stimulus to these animals, like salt 



does to others. 

 R. arvensis 



5> 



is very injurious to sheep. A notable instance 

 occurred in Piedmont, in 1786, where a number of these 

 animals died, as it was at first supposed, of an epidemical dis- 

 ease ; but subsequent examination discovered that this destruc- 



M 



f*^ 



(Mim. de VAcad. Roy. des Sciences, Ann. \i 88-89, a lurm). 

 The herb grows luxuriantly in Piedmont, and the sheep feed 

 with much eagerness upon it. The effects here mentioned 

 were not immediate, but progressive, and it was principally 

 owing to the roots of the plants ; since, by experiments purposely 

 made on dogs, these animals were almost instantly killed by them. 

 The chief symptom was violent colic, ending in gangrene and 

 death. On dissection of the sheep, the four concoctive organs 

 were found affected with erysipelatous and gangrenous spots, but 

 more particularly the obomasum, which he found much more 



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