234 



POISONING. 



Humboldt County, Cal,, it is known as cow poison, on account of its 

 fatal effect on cattle. Its toxic character has been questioned. Per- 

 haps it is not equally poisonous throughout all stages of its growth. 



*Helleborus viridis. — The green hellebore is a European plant, some- 

 times self-sown from gardens. All parts of the plant are poisonous. 

 Cattle have been killed by eating the leaves. 



POISONING BY HELLEBOEE. 



This form of poisoning is of slow progress, the plant producing 



irritation of the digestive mucous 

 membrane. The symptoms con- 

 sist in loss of appetite, blackish, 

 glairy diarrhoea, and intermittence 

 of the pulse. 



* Ranunculus sceleratus . — 



The cursed crowfoot, or celery- 

 leafed crowfoot, is found through- 

 out the eastern half of the United 

 States and also in Europe. Cattle 

 generally avoid all of the butter- 

 cups, but fatal cases of poisoning 

 from this plant are recorded in 

 European literature. When dried 

 in hay, the plant appears to be 

 non-poisonous. The bulbous crow- 

 foot {R. hulbosiis) and the tall crow- 

 foot {R. acris) are well-known to 

 be very acrid in taste, and it is 

 probable that all of the species 

 which grow in water or in very 

 marshy land are i)oisonous. 



, , , POISONING BY RANUNCULACE^. 



Fig. 86.— Mandrake {PodopJiyllum 



veltatum). Poisoning only occurs when 



the green plants are eaten. Dry- 

 ing causes certain essences contained in them to disappear, and thus 

 destroys their toxicity. 



This form of poisoning is indicated by yawning, colic, blackish, foetid 

 diarrhoea, and rapid loss of strength. 



The animals suffer from stertorous breathing, weakness of the pulse, 

 and aberration of vision. They die in convulsions. 



