310 TEAXSACTIONS AND PROCEEDINGS OF THE [Sess. lix. 



horses, at Newcastle 10 or 12, and again near Sheffield 12 

 horses. I will take the last case as typical of the others, 

 and it will be seen that the symptoms are the same as in 

 the black-seeded variety, which, knowing that the dark and 

 the light coloured seeds are both Z. sativus, is not sur- 

 prising. ]\Ir. Abson, of Sheffield, to whom I am indebted 

 for a large sample of the seeds, tells how the Sheffield 

 horses, first fed with the seeds in January, began in April 

 and May to become thick in their wind, how they fell to 

 the gi'ound and how on gentle exercise they were seized 

 with roaring until, as before, tracheotomy was performed to 

 prevent asphyxia. 



Effects of L. sativus on other Animals. In swine, 

 paralysis and spasm. In the herbal mentioned earlier I 

 find it stated that swine fattened on the meal lost the use 

 of their hind limbs, but grew very fat lying on the ground. 

 Cattle. — Experimentally the records are too meagre to 

 warrant any hard and fast statement, for while one breeder 

 assured me that he fed the seeds ground and scalded, in 

 the proportion of 3 lbs. at a time, to fattened bullocks and 

 they did well, I have heard of cases where the seeds were 

 blamed for injuring milch cows. There is a very large 

 quantity of, these seeds sold all over the country, and 

 in use by dairymen, etc. (thousands of bolls). That we 

 have few or no complaints as regards cattle is doubtless due 

 to the fact that it is the custom of dairymen, etc., to scald 

 the cows' " feed " before giving it to the cattle, so as to 

 prevent indigestion. 



Shc^j^ have been fed on small quantities without harm. 

 As to other animals, "Watt quotes Don thus : " Pigeons 

 lose their power of flight by feeding on the seed, especially 

 when young. .Poultry will not readily eat it, but geese eat 

 it without apparent damage." 



Theories as to the Poisonous Principle. — 1st. A 

 volatile alkaloid not existing in the free state, but produced 

 by some proteid ferment whose action can be destroyed by 

 heat. The presence of ferments in the vegetable world 

 is now generally admitted. Such are present in very 

 minute quantities, and they are onl}' active within well 

 defined ranges of temperature, being killed when exposed 

 to a high temperature, say on boiling. 2nd. May be 



