60 



White, in his ^^ Dermatitis Venenata,''^ states in regard to the genus: 

 ''More than one hundred species of Euphorbia, or spurge, grow in the 

 United States, either indigenous or immigrants from Europe. Of every 

 species Loudon says the juice is so acrid as to corrode and ulcerate the 

 body wherever applied; and of E. resinifera, from which the official 

 euphorhium is obtained, Pliny and Dioscorides, according to the Dispen- 

 satory, describe the method of collecting juice, so as to prevent irritation 

 of the hands and face. This substance is used as a plaster to prolong 

 suppuration." 



Van Hasselt states that ''the juice of several species is used by quacks 

 to remove warts, freckles, as depilatory, etc.; and that the application 

 of the juice, powder, and extract produces not only erysipelatous, pustular 

 and phlegmonous inflammation, but even gangrene. In one case mentioned 

 the whole abdominal wall became the seat of gangrene." 



Symptoms: Accprding to Cornevin the spurges have an irritating 

 effect on the mucous membrane, especially at the back of the mouth. In 

 from three-quarters of an hour to two hours after eating the plant, or 

 even longer, there is painful vomiting, followed by diarrhoeic evacuations, 

 with a lowering of the temperature. If the quantity ingested has been 

 sufficient there appear also nervous symptoms, vertigo, delirium, muscular 

 tremors and circulatory troubles which disappear after abundant sweating 

 if the poisoning is not fatal. If it is fatal the symptoms of superpurgation 

 and enteritis predominate, but are accompanied by nervous symptoms 

 and circulatory disorders. 



Mueller gives in addition loss of appetite, piteous whining (in goats), 

 groaning, colic, and tympanites; and Pott, bloating, fever, palpitation of 

 the heart, and loss of consciousness; cows gave a reddish or sharp-tasting 

 milk. Milk of affected goats caused diarrhoea in human beings. 



Remedy and Means of Control: The advice of a physician should 

 be requested. As sun spurge is an annual plant it may be suppressed by 

 preventing the development of the seeds. On cultivated land it should 

 be cut off by the hoe before or as soon as the first flowers appear. Badly 

 infested lands should be put under cultivation, well fertilized, and resown 

 heavily to grass or clover. 



CYPRESS SPURGE /f"f """^r Cyparisdas L Igp^HGE Family. 



[Tithymalus Cypanssias (L.) Hill. J 



Common Names: This species is also referred to as the balsam-spurge, 

 graveyard-weed, Bonaparte's-crown, tree-moss, quacksalver's-spurge. 



Description: The cypress spurge is a bright green, smooth perennial 

 plant with small brownish scales below and numerous narrow green leaves 

 above. Each branch is surmounted by an umbel of many rays, with a 



