Mar. 1892.] THE BOTANICAL SOCIETY" OF EDINBURGH. 335 



while there they ate ravenously of Andronuda fiorihiuida, a 

 most poisonous plant from North America. Mr Hewitt, the 

 bailiff, at once treated the sheep, thirty-seven of whom showed 

 symptoms of poison, and then called in I)r Gregory, and 

 under their united treatment nineteen of them recovered." 



Pieris floribunda was introduced into England from North 

 America in 1811. It is one of the earliest and handsomest 

 of hardy shrubs, but it should be excluded from places where 

 sheep or other such animals are at all likely to have access. 



Dr Cleghokn remarked that the shepherds on the Hima- 

 layas recognise the poisonous properties of Pieris ovalifolia, 

 i). Don, especially when the leaves are still in the bud. 



Mr EuTHERFOED HiLL said, on seeing this paper of Mr 

 Lindsay's on the billet, he was reminded of some recent 

 researches as to the poisonous constituent of the narcotic 

 Ericaceffi, and had looked up some of the references. The 

 first to separate the poisonous principle was Professor 

 Eykman, who in 1883 obtained a glucoside from Pieris 

 Japonica [Andromeda japonica), to which he gave the name 

 asebotoxin. This substance he found to be exceedingly 

 powerful, the fatal dose for a rabbit being "003 gramme or 

 about 2\)t'h of a grain. He also obtained a second glucoside 

 called asebotin, which possessed a bitter taste but was non- 

 poisonous. The investigation was repeated by Professor 

 P. C. Plugge in the following year. He obtained two sub- 

 stances from Pieris japoivica, which proved to be identical 

 with these separated by Eykman. Plugge succeeded in 

 getting the poisonous glucoside in fine silky needles having 

 the formula Cgj H^^ Oiq. He gave it the name andromedo- 

 toxin, by which it is now universally known. It possesses, 

 in a very high degree, the physiological properties of the 

 poisonous Ericaceae. • Within the last few years Professor 

 Plugge and Herr Zaayer have examined a large number of 

 ericaceous plants, and have found andromedotoxin in the 

 following : — 



Leaves and wood of Pieris japonica, Benth. et Hook. 

 „ young twigs of Andromeda polifolia, Linn. 



„ ,, Andromeda polifolia angustifolia. 



„ „ Cassandra calyculata, Don. 



