MUSTARD FAMILY. 101 



Doubtless a trained observer would have detected other 

 symptoms, but a comparison of those just stated with 

 S -m toms ^ e typical symptoms of Wild Mustard pois- 

 oning will leave no doubt as to the cause of 

 the trouble. According to Mueller, as quoted by Long, 

 these are: "Inflammation of the stomach and intestines 

 (with loss of appetite, wind, colic and diarrhoea) ; inflam- 

 mation of kidneys (difficult, excessive or bloody urina- 

 tion) ; and nervous symptoms, with great exhaustion, un- 

 certain gait, paralysis of limbs, and, in isolated cases, 

 convulsions." Horses and cattle are affected to some ex- 

 tent, but pigs suffer most injury. 



The poisonous constituents are three in number: 

 The Poison v l a tile oil of mustard, the alkaloid sinapin, 

 and the alkaloidal glucoside sinalbin. 



The plant was introduced from Europe and has spread, 

 across the continent, in grain fields and waste places. 

 The Plant Although an annual it is a very bad weed on 

 and Seed account of its numerous seeds. When buried 

 in the soil they can live for many years. The plant is 

 simple or branching, one to three feet high, with its upper 

 leaves stemless, and the lower ones petioled and usually 

 lobed- The stem is purple at its junction with the 

 branches. The fragrant, bright yellow flowers, two- 

 thirds of an inch in diameter, are in clusters at the tips 

 of elongating racemes. The seed pods are slender and 

 one to two inches long. They are knotted below and ter- 

 minate in a two-edged beak. 



The round, black seeds are about one-sixteenth of an 

 inch in diameter, and slightly roughened. They re- 

 semble the seeds of some other Brassicas very closely, but 

 can be distinguished from them by the microscopic and 

 chemical characteristics of their coats. The epidermis 



