124 



304. Vegetable Poisons. — Plants of a poisonous nature are many, 

 and, considering their distribution, it is astonishing that there are 

 not more fatal cases. Some of the most common and well-known 

 poisonous plants are as follows : — Hemlock [Conium Maciilatum). 

 Fools' Parsley {^thusa Cynapium). Water Hemlock or Cowbane 

 [Cicnta Virosa). Water Dropwort or Dead Tongue [CEnanthe 

 Crocata). Deadly Nightshade [Atropa Belladonna). Fox Glove 

 {Digitalis Purpurea). Monkshood [Aconitnm Napellus). Yew Tree 

 {Taxus Baccata). Rhododendron [Ponticum). The half-dried twigs 

 of the yew tree and rhododendron, as already stated, are more 

 acute and dangerous than the green branches (par. 251). The 

 water dropwort, or dead tongue, is sometimes mistaken for the 

 water hemlock, or cowbane, both plants are, however, poisonous to 

 cattle, and great care should be taken, when ditches are being cleaned 

 out, that the roots of these plants are gathered, dried and burnt, as 

 when half dried, cattle are very fond of them. The green leaf of 

 the foxglove, in the winter months, when the ground is covered with 

 snow, is also dangerous to sheep, and should be cut down and removed 

 from pastures on which sheep are grazing. Vegetable poisons usually 

 prove fatal on account of the peculiar arrangement of the stomach 

 compartments of cattle and sheep, which permits of large quantities 

 of the poisonous material being gathered before the poisonous action 

 is established, thus rendering treatment of little avail. The symptoms 

 of, and treatment for, vegetable poisoning are discussed m 

 paragraph 251 . Acorns. Although pigs eat acorns with impunity, 

 yet when taken in excess by horses and ■ cattle they are very 

 dangerous, causing indigestion and, at times, death. When plentiful, 

 they should be gathered off the ground. 



305. Stomach Staggers is most frequently seen in the summer 

 months, more particularly in dry seasons, and where cattle are grazed 

 on hilly pastures, or on first and second years' crop of seed grass ; it is 

 not nearly so rife on old-laid pastures. It is thought to be caused by 

 the rye-grass aborting, or seeding prematurely, but an overfeed of green 

 rye corn will cause the identical same symptoms. No doubt, the heat of 

 the sun, and the dryness of the grass, in the first place have much to do 



