286 POISONOUS PROPERTIES OF EUPHORBIA CARACASANA. 
numerous small round grains, which I suppose to be caoutchouc. The 
milk does not harden when exposed to the air, but forms a sticky 
yellow substance, easily dissolved by fat oils. Cold alcoltol yielded an 
extract containing a small quantity of resinous matter; hot alcohol 
yielded a larger quantity (of the same resin or of a different one?). 
Sulphurie and muriatie acid produced a separation of the milk into a 
light yellow transparent liquid, and a white fibrous sediment. The 
latter boiled with water gave some fatty substance (wax ?) floating on 
the surface of the water. After twenty-four hours the milk turned sour. 
In order to study as far as possible the poisonous qualities of the 
milk, I experimented on two guinea-pigs and one rabbit. 
The first guinea-pig received 5 grammes of the milk; soon after 
the animal vomited twice, and recovered completely. The second 
guinea-pig swallowed 10 grammes; it kept on vomiting nearly for 
3 hours, and then died. The rabbit had 20 grammes; the poison 
acted very energetically both as an emetic and purge, and the animal 
died in less than half an hour. I was unable to ascertain the exact 
time of the death, as business called me away. The rectum of the 
two animals showed a considerable number of red spots; other 
changes in the intestines could not be discovered. 
Not being experienced in toxicological matters, I give my observa- 
tions such as they were. But there is no doubt that the milk of 
Euphorbia Caracasana is a strong drastic acrid poison, and probably 
more so when the plant has attained a greater development. It con- 
tains, it would seem, no volatile oil, and acts differently on different 
constitutions, but is equally deleterious to man and animal. The 
leaves of our plant are never touched by any animal, and I do not 
remember having seen any insect feeding upon them. Dr. Masters 
(‘ The Treasury: of Botany,’ i. 477) says, that in Brazil the juice of 
JE. colinifolia, L., is employed by the natives for poisoning their 
arrows; the same might be effected by the juice of E. Caracasana, 
Boiss, a plant long confounded with the just-mentioned Linnean 
species, nearly related to it, and belonging to Boissier’s — 
Alectoroctonum. 
