74 POISONOUS PLANTS 



because these animals will not injure other trees if 

 they can get a supply of laburnum ; and though 

 they may eat them to the ground, they will spring 

 up again next season, and so yield a regular 

 supply of winter food. 



On the other hand, seme rabbits which ate some 

 bark died in three minutes in tetanic convulsions, 

 according to Dr. Taylor's account. One can only 

 account for these results by different effects of 

 climate ; the hotter the country, vegetable poisons 

 are the more strongly developed. 



Scarlet Runner {Phaseolus vulgaris^ van 

 multiflorus). — Though this plant supplies us with 

 an excellent and highly nourishing food material, 

 yet experience has proved that sheep are the only 

 animals which ever eat it as green food, or the 

 seeds of Haricots when soaked. It appears to con- 

 tain some deleterious property, which especially 

 resides in the roots, which have, indeed, been 

 described as poisonous. 



Wista7'ia sinensis is a familiar climber, with ra- 

 cemes of mauve-coloured flowers, appearing before 

 the leaves. Children have suffered with severe sick- 

 ness, vertigo, and nervous disorders from masti- 

 cating the flowers of this plant. The symptoms are 

 analogous, if not more or less identical, with those 

 which ensue from eating laburnum seeds. 



Scorpion Senna-tree {Coronilla Emerus), C. 

 varia^ etc., from Europe. — It has pinnate leaves of 



