22 Caryophyllaceae, Hypericinex [ch. 



repeated foetid diarrhoea, hurried and plaintive respiration, accelerated 

 and gradually weakening pulse, a gradual loss of motor and sensory- 

 powers, and a progressive decline in temperature. Death occurs in 

 twenty-four hours. 



In the case of pigs, the animal grunts, lies down and remains thus 

 with its snout embedded in the straw. There is vomiting, more or less 

 violent colic and diarrhoea, the evacuation consisting of bad-smelling, 

 spumous faecal matter. At times there are clonic contractions. Young 

 pigs are most susceptible. 



Pott cites cases in which abortion was a feature of the poisoning, 

 both in cows and pigs. The results of numerous experiments which 

 he quotes (among others some carried out for the Prussian Ministry of 

 Agriculture) are very contradictory, a small quantity causing death in 

 some animals, while others of the same species were left unharmed by 

 large quantities. He ascribes this to the very variable proportions of 

 the poison present in the seeds. 



REFERENCES. 



4, 16, 28, 46, 52, 53, 63, 76, 81, 82, 144, 161, 172, 



184, 190, 203, 205, 213, 249. 



HYPERICINEiE. 



St. John's Wort {Hypericum perforatum L.). There appears to be 

 no record of poisoning of live stock by this plant in Britain, but Cornevin 

 records that it injured breeding mares fed on lucerne containing it in 

 large proportion. Drying in converting into hay did not render it 

 innocuous. It is only poisonous if eaten in considerable quantity, and 

 in general animals are not likely to eat much of it voluntarily, owing to 

 its resinous odour when crushed, and a bitter and slightly saline taste. 



Toxic Principle. The poisonous properties of St. John's Wort have 

 not been fully investigated, but it is stated to contain an oil and an 

 acrid bitter resin. Ewart says that it "contains an oil whose medicinal 

 value was formerly highly esteemed ; but this oil, and the woody nature 

 of the plant, render it somewhat injurious in fodder." Summers says 

 {Journ. Agric. S. Australia, Sept. 1911, p. 144) that "it is reported to 

 be decidedly injurious, causing horses who eat it to break out in sores, 

 while milk cows have a tendency to dry off owing to its effect on the 

 system." 



