32 



PINK FAMILY (Caryophyllacece) 



PURPLE COCKL'E—iAgrostemma Githago L.). 

 Plate XII. ^cc p :27'20.) 



Common Names: The purple cockle is also popularly known as corn 

 cockle, corn rose, and corn campion. 



Description: Agrostemma means ''the-crown-of-the-field." The 

 richly coloured flowers waving among the ears of grain deserve the name, 

 but its aptitude is lost, no doubt, upon the busy farmer who sees only a 

 certain loss to his crop. It is a tall annual or biennial introduced from 

 Europe, one to three feet high, more or less covered with silky hairs. The 

 leaves are two to five inches long, narrow, pointed, with entire margins. 

 The flowers are purple, pale towards the centre, with dark markings, from 

 one to two inches wide. The petals are five, shorter than the long, narrow, 

 pointed, and hairy sepals. The ^eeds are about 1|8 inch in diameter, black 

 or of such deep purple as to appear black, rough, with rows of short, close 

 teeth. The plant is in flower from July to August. 



Distribution: Purple cockle was introduced into Canada from 

 Europe, and is now scattered throughout the country in grain fields and 

 along roadsides. 



Poisonous Properties: This weed, containing saponin, is poisonous 

 both to animals and human beings. The seeds are most harmful. The 

 seed capsules, being on a level with the heads of grain, and ripening at the 

 same time, are cut and milled with the grain. Unless the wheat is very 

 carefully screened, the flour is rendered unwholesome. The presence of the 

 poison may be detected in lower grades of flour by its pecular odour, and 

 even by remnants of the rough, black, seed-coat. Very dangerous results msiy 

 follow the repeated use of even a small quantity of this flour, as it will 

 produce a chronic disease known as '^githagism." 



Symptoms : The symptoms of chronic poisoning are : gradual depression, 

 headache, nausea, diarrhoea, burning of the skin, los^ of vigour in muscular 

 movements and breathing, sometimes followed by coma and death. 



Cornevin describes the symptoms in the acute form in the case of 

 horses, cattle, and pigs. In the horse, if a small quantity only is taken, 

 there is yawning, heavy colic, stamping and Evacuation of rather soft faeces. 

 If larger quantities are taken, the symptoms, which commence in about an 

 hour, are salivation, frequent yawning and turning of the head, colic, pale 

 mucus, hurried and weak pulse, rise in temperature, and accelerated res- 

 piration. Some time later there are muscular tremors succeeded (by pro- 

 nounced rigidity, and the faeces are diarrhoeic and foetid. The animal lies 

 down, and getting up is painful; it falls into a kind of coma, stretches 

 itself to the utmost, and death takes place without convulsions. 



