NOTES ON CROTALARIA BURKEANA AND OTHER 



LEGUMINOSE PLANTS CAUSING DISEASE 



IN STOCK. 



By Joseph Burtt-Davy, F.L.S. 



Crotcdaria burkeana Benth., family Leguminosse, is a native of 

 the Transvaal and has for many years been recognised by farmers 

 as the cause of a disease of stock known as Styfziekte ; in fact 

 the plant is known in the vernacular as the " Styfziekte bosje." 

 It is also called "Klappers" from the character of the somewhat 

 horny pods, in which the seeds rattle about. I called attention ta 

 the dangerous character of this plant, in my annual report for 

 1903-04 (1). 



Symptoms. — The following reports have been furnished as to> 

 the symptoms produced by feeding on Crotalaria. "It is said to. 

 paralyse or stiffen the limbs of cattle " (14). " About five days, 

 after a beast has eaten this plant, it becomes very stiff in its. 

 joints and frequently is unable to stand. It is not fatal, however.. 

 A further development takes place in that the hoofs begin to. 

 grow, until at times they break off, making oxen almost useless, 

 for trekking for a long time " (13). " After eating these bushes 

 cattle become almost too stiff to walk, and in many bad cases, after 

 some time they are not able to stand on their legs. In all cases, 

 except when very mild, their hoofs grow long and make it very 

 awkward for them to move about " (15). " The animals get per- 

 fectly stiff in their fore-legs, and, if not attended to, will lie down 

 and are unable to rise again " (16). The cause of lameness is 

 not stiffness of the joints, but laminitis, i.e., inflammation of the 

 sensitive laminae (1). 



Stock Not Always Affected. — Mr. C. McG. Johnston reports 

 that the Hoopstad district cattle appear to graze among 

 Crofa/ar/a without being in any way affected by it, year in and year 

 out (19). (M. 1906). Mr. B. Burger, Middenin, Bultfontein, 

 O.F.S., reports that the plant does not affect cattle that are used 

 to it. 



No Effect on Goats. — It is stated by farmers that this plant 

 has no effect on goats (20). The same fact has been noted in the 

 case of Cyfisus prolifcrus in the Canary Islands (6). 



Local Remedies. — Although they are often empirical, itis well 

 to take note of local remedies, as they sometimes throw an indirect 

 light on problems. "The only thing that I have noticed helps 

 them a little is to outspan as soon as one sees that they are af- 

 fected. I should be very pleased to get some remedy " (15). The- 

 South African farmer is fond of homoeopathic remedies, and this, 

 disease is no exception to their rule that like cures like. One 

 correspondent wrote that "as a cure the same shrub is taken and; 

 boiled in water, a sufficient quantity to fill a quart bottle is given 

 and they are right in a few days." Another reported that a good 

 remedv is to make the beast swim several times, after which it 



