Proceedliujs of thr lii>i/nl ^Societij of Vicforia. 



•281 



ill-. D. McAlpink road notos i)re[)are(I by biuiself and 

 Mr. P. W. Farmer, M.B., Ch. B., "On a Poisonous Species 

 (if Honieria found at Pascoe Vale, causing the death of 

 <'attle and otlier animals feedinti,' ujiou it." 



Mr. Blackett, ill lej)!}' to the President, explained that 

 Mr. Wilkinson, with his assistance, had been making an 

 iiivestigati()n of the plant, and lie was contident that there 

 was no trace of alkaloid in it. They did not liope to 

 isolate any particular poison from the plant. The corrosion 

 of the mucous membrane of the cow's stomach, wdiich was 

 rt'ferred to in the paper, ought, if it existed, to be detected 

 from the extract. He di'ank a s[)Oonful of the extract, 

 but it did not produce any after effect, alth(»ugh he found 

 it disagreeable and nauseous 



Air. McAlpine said that the symptoms couhl be better 

 explainetl when the chemical analysis was completed, and 

 a second paper would be presented when that was done. 

 Altiiough two extracts had lieen experimented on with 

 negative results, yet there was the fact that the rabbits 

 had died. The corrosion of the stomachs of the animals 

 that had eaten the [jlant was a surprising thing, and he 

 hoped that chemical anal3^sis would throw light on the 

 symptoms recorded in the notes. 



Mr. White asked if the plants were more dangerous at 

 certain seasons than at others. 



Mr. McAlpine said that in West Australia, at certain 

 ^'asons, it was known not to cause death. Cows seemed to 

 I void the plant. 



Mr. White said that might prove that the flowers and 

 not the leaves were poisonous. 



Mr. McAlpine thought that the bulbous part contained 

 the Doison. 



Thitrsdaij, Becember blh. 

 The Pi'esident (Professor Keiixot) occupied the chair. 



The minutes of the ])receding meeting were read and 

 ■ontirmeil. 



Mr. Isaac 'J'lpping was ballotted for as a Member, and 

 Icclar.'d duly elected. 



