76 Coniferae, Aroidex [ch. 



With fatal quantities the foregoing symptoms may be followed by 

 coma, with death in two hours or more after the poisoning, but more 

 generally and usually in horses, asses, and mules (but also in cattle) 

 there is no period of coma, the excitement is less pronounced and often 

 unobserved, and death appears very sudden. The animals stop, shake 

 their heads, respiration is modified, there is falling, and death (sometimes 

 with convulsions) results from cessation of the heart's action (Cornevin). 



The symptoms given by Miiller are roaring, torpidity, stupefaction, 

 laboured breathing, convulsions and death in from ten minutes to an 

 hour in the worst cases; or where the course of poisoning is slower, 

 there is salivation, nausea, vomiting, bloating, retardation of pulse and 

 respiration, great giddiness and stupefaction, diabetes and hsematuria. 



The rapidity of the poisoning is confirmed by cases noted in the 

 veterinary journals. Lander shows that the effects often only appear 

 in cattle when chewing the cud; whilst quietly chewing, they drop as 

 if shot. In some examples the animal died while eating the plant, or 

 was found to have fallen and died suddenly and without evidence of 

 a struggle. The animal in some cases will stop suddenly whilst working, 

 start blowing and trembling, stagger, fall on its haunches, then on its 

 side, and die quietly. Death occurs in about five minutes with symptoms 

 resembling apoplexy. A colt died after 16 or 17 hours; the plant was 

 taken on a full stomach, but paralysis of the alimentary system with 

 stoppage of digestion immediately ensued. 



In the case of pheasants there was acute inflammation of the small 

 intestines (Tegetmeier). 



REFERENCES. 



4, 16, 49, 73, 81, 84, 100, 128, 130, 141, 144, 161, 



170, 189, 190, 205, 213, 239, 240, 256. 



AROIDEiE. 



Cuckoo Pint {Arum maculatum L.). The well-known Cuckoo 

 Pint, or Lords and Ladies, is to be regarded as highly poisonous, and 

 children have died from eating the berries. Animals have exceptionally 

 eaten the plant, but no record of death has been found, as it does not 

 appear to be taken in sufl&cient quantity. Cornevin records that pigs 

 have eaten the roots, and suffered in consequence, though the results 

 were not fatal. All parts of the plant are poisonous, though the viru- 

 lence is lost on drying. The plant is acrid, and emits a disagreeable 



