PRUSSIC ACID IN THE LEGUMINOS^ 243 



In India, recently, more than 7,600 cases of lathyrism have been 

 reported and proved to be due to the excessive use of Lathyrits sativtts. 



In Australia sheep are attacked with lathyrism after eating a species 

 of Swainsonia; at the Cape, goats contract Xoita, a kind of lathyrism 

 caused by a leguminous plant of undetermined species; in the United 

 States loco disease is caused by Leguminosse. 



Lessertia annularis (Herb). — Lessertia annularis appears to be the 

 cause of cerebro-spinal meningitis in goats, and recorded in South 

 Africa under the name of T'nenta. It is curious to note the analogy 

 which exists between the loco disease caused by Astragalus lenti- 

 giiiosus, the Gomfholobiuni of Australia, the Sofhora secundifiora of 

 Texas, and to a lesser degree the Tagosaste^ Cytisus -proliferuSj which 

 is injurious to horses. 



Lotus australJs (Herb). — This plant has been recorded as dangerous 

 in Australia. Baron Mueller speaks of its influence on the brains of 

 sheep, which often has fatal results. 



M. Diston, however, assures us that the Lotus is an excellent fodder 

 plant and is only injurious when eaten in excessive quantities; there 

 is no objection to its being given to " folded "' sheep. 



Lupinus (Shrub). — The genus Lupinus contains several varieties the 

 seeds of which are poisonous. They have often a bitter flavour and 

 are the cause of mishaps ; the disease known as lupinosis is particularly 

 prevalent among sheep, but other animals are not exempt, and man 

 can make but little use of the seeds of the lupin. 



Poisoning causes violent fever with circulatory and digestive 

 troubles, spasms, &c. 



M. Baumert states that the real active principle in the lupin is 

 an alkaloid, which he calls lupiniUj the formula for which is 



Schulze and Barbieri gave the name of lupinide to a non-nitro- 

 genous glucoside which they succeeded in extracting from the lupin. 



Mucuna sp. (Trailing Herb). — In Senegal a Mucuna of undeter- 

 mined species is regarded as poisonous by the natives. 



Oxylobium parviflorum (Shrub). — Known in Western Australia 

 under the name of " Box poison," and recorded by Bentham as one of 

 the most poisonous plants. The species O . retusum is called " Bloom 

 poison." 



Oxytropis Lambert! (Undershrub). — In the United States this plant 

 is the cause of a loco disease very similar to that provoked by the genus 

 Astragalus. 



Phaseolus vulgaris (Undershrub). — Numerous observations have 

 established the fact that neither horses, pigs, dogs, cats, rabbits, 

 guinea-pigs, nor poultry eat the pods or seeds of the bean, either raw 

 or cooked. 



M. Cornevin has endeavoured to ascertain whether these plants 

 contain a poisonous element which has no action on the organism, and 



