In the Stable, Field, and on the Road. 133 



browsing in meadows where the plant is most abundant. 

 Horses with their keen discriminating faculty uniformly 

 avoid it, and hence its effects have rarely been observed 

 unless it was given chopped up and mixed with corn. 

 There are no less than fifteen species of ranunculus or 

 crowfoot, natives of these islands, and common in our 

 meadows and pastures, and most of them have more or 

 less irritating properties ; those that are esteemed most 

 irritating I have named above. The genus ranunculus is 

 characteristic of a cold damp climate, poor wet soil, and 

 is less acrid when grown in such situation than when 

 grown in warm climates. It is asserted that an annual 

 species, the B. avensis, has been proved to be fatal to 

 sheep in Italy. Every part of the plant is pervaded by 

 an acrid principle, which is volatile, and dissipated by 

 heat or drying. The juice ol the plant is a powerful 

 vesicant, and prior to the introduction of cantharides, 

 was used by medical men for that purpose. Owing, 

 perhaps, to its universality and abundance in our 

 pastures, it has become to be regarded as innocuous, or 

 at least without suspicion of being productive of any bad 

 effects. No cases, so far as I am aware, are recorded of 

 its effects on cattle or sheep in this country, although 

 its effects upon the latter have been observed on the 

 Continent. Cases crop up from time to time in which 

 horses are thought to be suffering from influenza, when, 

 after a thorough investigation, the mischief is found in 

 the horse having had lawn-mowings given it in which 

 was an abundance of buttercup. The symptoms of 

 poisoning by buttercup are first, a spasmodic action of 

 the glottis, shortening and rigidity of the muscles of the 



