POISONOUS PLANTS 307 



half-ripe sweetish seeds; several cases were reported 

 to the United States Department of Agriculture in the 

 autumn of 1897. In the United States also one or two 

 cases are recorded in which catfle were poisoned by 

 eating the leaves of young plants present in hay. 



The Potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) is a member of 

 the same order, and contains the alkaloid Solanine in 

 variable proportions in the green parts, and to some 

 extent in " greened " tubers. In general, however, 

 the tubers may be eaten with impunity, and we believe 

 there is no record of injury to man from the potato 

 plant. Henslow says that accidents with animals are 

 not at all uncommon, and cattle have suffered most. 

 Sir John Macfadyean (Principal, Roy. Vet. College, 

 London) has shown that old sprouted potatoes, even 

 after boiling, are a deadly poison to horses. In 1896 

 eleven horses died from eating in most instances small 

 quantities of sprouted " chat " potatoes, and two test- 

 horses fed on the potatoes died. " An affected animal 

 seems dull, and dies within twelve hours after being 

 first observed, without evincing any sign of pain." 1 

 We know, on the other hand, of pigs eating consider- 

 able quantities of potato haulm without any apparent 

 ill-effect. It is advisable, however, not to feed the 

 haulm to stock, but to plough or dig it into the soil, 

 except when diseased, in which case it should be 

 burned. 



SCROPHULARIACE.E 



The Foxglove (Digitalis purpurea L.) is such a well- 

 known denizen of our copses, woods, banks, and road- 

 sides, that a description is almost unnecessary. It 

 grows from 2 to 4 feet high, and is erect and rugged 

 in appearance. The leaves are sometimes a foot or 



1 Prof, R. Wallace, Farm Live Stock of Great Britain, 1907, p. 505, 



