21+ l-'roceediuf/s of tJie Roi/al Socicf// of Vidorvj.. 



tliat the one point of ditference was, that one set of rabbits 

 were fed iu the usual way and HvcmI, while another set were 

 fi'd on the Homevla plant and died. 



It setnis, therefore, reasonable to conclude that the eating 

 of this plant was the cause of death, ;ind tliat it is possessed 

 of |>oisonoiis properties of an irritant nature. 



Experiments ox Cows. 



It was considered quite satisfactory to test the eti'ects of 

 eating' the Hoinerhi ])]ant upon i-abbits, but in order to 

 settle the matter even for cows, the Hon. the Minister of 

 Agriculture (Mr. Oraluun) allowed two cows to be purchased 

 for the purpose, orie to be fed ujK)n the plant, and the other 

 to be fed, in the first instance, in the usual way, so as to 

 show by way of contrast the effects of the difi'erent feeding. 

 The two cows wei'e placed in se])arate loose-boxes, and on 

 the evening ot October 14, about (J p.m., one was given half 

 a bftg of the freshl}' cut Homcrin ]dnnt and water, while the 

 other had a good su[»|>!y of hay and straw. She ate greedily 

 of the plant (although not specially starved for tlie occasion) 

 while we were ]>resent, along with Mr. W. H. Stephen, 

 Acting Chief Ins|)ector of Stock, and Mr. E. Rivett, 

 M.R.C.V.S. On the following day, the cow feeding upon 

 the Hoimrhi plant was found to have eaten about half 

 the quantity given her, and refused to have an}- more. 

 On the Itith sh(! was lying down sick, and on the 17th the 

 same ; then on the forenoon of the 18th the cow was killed, 

 and a post-mortem made b}^ Mr. Rivett. This cow was three 

 days and a half under treatment, and the eating of the ])lant 

 had ])n»duced a scouring action, along with general weakness, 

 and a very percej^tible trend)ling at the loins. 



Tlie second co\a', which was also placed in a loose-box on 

 the evening of the Uth. October, was well fed on tlie 15th 

 and IGth. She was made to fast on the 17th, in order to 

 ensuie active feeding, and on the KSth, about 1 p.m., was 

 su[»plied with about a quarter of a bag o'i Homer hi, together 

 with drinking water. She ate very greedil}^ of the |)lant, 

 and seemed to reli.sh it. On the U)th she was found lying 

 down, unable to rise, and died that night. The examination 

 of the animal was made about mid-day on Thursday, October 

 20, by Ml-. Stephen, in the presence ()f both of us. Tiie four 

 stomachs w'ere carefull}' examined, and in the lumen or 



