:£28^ KARROO SOIL, LUCERNE AND THE OSTRICH. 



to the adoption of certain modifications in the feeding of 

 ostriches. The feather of the h:cerne-fed bird is certainly in 

 general appearance more beautiful, but it is somewhat wanting 

 in strength. It is most probable that this is due either to a 

 deficiency of Silica in the inorganic constituents of the skeleton 

 of the feather or to a predominance of sulphur in the keratine 

 of the feather, or to both. That the general appearance of the 

 feather is much influenced by the feeding of the ostrich with 

 so rich a food as lucerne is unquestionable. But for the pre- 

 sent the ostrich farmers do not know how the lucerne feeding 

 is to be modified to grow a feather which is perfect in appear- 

 ance and at the same time of stronger texture. 



The study of the feeding of ostriches is of great practical 

 importance, and something should be done to place the prin- 

 ciples of ostrich farming, including ostrich feeding, on a sound 

 scientific basis. 



We have veterinary surgeons for the stock farmer, scab 

 inspectors for the sheep farmer and a viticultural expert for 

 wine farmers. Could not a small tax be levied on the export. 

 of ostrich feathers to meet the expenses of maintaining an 

 experimental station for ostrich farming, at which all ques- 

 tions bearing on the life of the ostrich may be scientifically and 

 practically investigated ? It is to be hoped that this matter 

 will be brought by the ostrich farmers to the attention of our 

 energetic Minister of Agriculture, who has already done so 

 rnuch to raise and promote agriculture in all its branches in 

 the Transvaal to a higher standard. It would be a new field of 

 agricultural research, and the merit of having first worked in 

 this new field of research belongs to my late friend Mr. 

 D. S. Stevenson. 



ARSENICAL POISONING BY LACTEAL TRANS- 



MISSION.— Some months ago, Mr. J. Muller, B.A., F.C.S., 

 Senior Government Analyst at Grahamstown, communicated 

 to the Cape Chemical Society details of an interesting case of 

 poisoning through the medium of mother's milk that had come 

 tjefore him. Several members of a Kaffir family exhibited 

 serious symptoms of poisoning consequent upon arsenic having 

 been placed in the coffee pot. One of these, immediately 

 after partaking of the coffee, suckled her infant, who shortly 

 after showed indications of arsenic poisoning and died, the 

 other members of the family subsequently recovering. At a 

 meeting of the Eastern Province Branch of the British Medical 

 Association held at Grahamstown on the 9th December, Mr. 

 Muller read an account of experiments that he had since per- 

 formed in the above connection. Arsenically-poisoned beef was 

 fed to a robust cat which had been separated from her four 

 healthy kittens for over three hours. The latter were then 

 allowed access to the mother, and half an hour after suckling 

 symptoms of poisoning set in, terminating fatally in all four 

 kittens. The adult cat recovered. Examination of the internal 

 organs of the child as well as of the kittens showed evidences 

 of irritant poisoning, and in the latter, as well as in the former, 

 upon analysis, the presence of arsenic was demonstrated. 



