142 



reasons stated above, however, they did not seem to be troubled in any 

 way. The poisoned animals were turned in from a pasture in which 

 good feed was very scant and coming upon the onion patch, they un- 

 doubtedly gorged themselves with the succulent onion bulblets. 



Literature on poisonous plants records no case of live-stock poison- 

 ing due to wild onion. The Lily family, to which wild onion belongs, 

 contains several poisonous plants, the most dangerous of which are, 

 perhaps, Death Camas and Colchicum, the latter species containing an 

 alkaloid known as colchicin (C-.;.H:;.-,NO.,). It is said" that "the animals 

 which eat the plant (Colchicum) suffer with acute gastro-enteritis, coma, 

 staggering, weak pulse and increased urination." Inasmuch as the 

 cows in question showed some of these symptoms, particularly the first 

 three, it appears probable that the onion bulblets contained some poi- 

 sonous principles similar to those of Colchicum. Allium unifolium,^ a 

 close relative of Allium canadense, is said to be poisonous in California. 



Pammer mentions a report published by Dr. W. W. Goldsmith in 

 the Journal of Comparative Pathology and Therapeutics, and later 

 abstracted in the American Veterinary Review (36:63), by Prof. A. 

 Liautard, upon cattle poisoning, caused by the garden onion. The fol- 

 lowing facts are submitted: 



"Loads of onions partly started to shoot and partly decayed, were 

 unloaded in a meadow where nine head of cattle were grazing. After 

 a week the cattle .seemed sick and one died, displaying the following 

 symptoms: Intense onion odor; tucking up of flanks; constipation in 

 some; purging freely in others; one vomited abundantly; another very 

 ill, grunted, was much con.stipated, staggered in walking, was very 

 tender in loins, temperature 103°, urine dark and smelling of onions. 

 Treatment: Feeding with soft food and hay. Large doses of linseed 

 oil. One animal that was very ill got also extract of belladonna and 

 carbonate of soda. All but one of the animals recovered. At the au- 

 topsy of the dead one, the rumen was found inflated and also the bowels. 

 Liver enlarged and of light color. Kidneys dark green and with offensive 

 odor. Rumen contained large quantity of onions and grass. The whole 

 carcass and organs smell of onions." 



= Pammel : Manual of Poisonous Plants, Part II, Page 375. 



' Pammel : Manual of Poisonous Plants, Part I, Page 104. 



< Pammel: Manual of Poisonous Plants, Part II, Pages 383-38-1. 



