PRINCIPALLY SOLANACEOUS AND COMPOSITOUS PLANTS 99 



The symptoms, as given in the Arizona bulletin, are increased tem- 

 perature and pulse, as indicated by the graphs in the experimental portion 

 of the rep6rt, dilation of the pupils of the eyes, discoloration of the 

 mouth and nostrils, followed by a sore mouth. The body becomes wet 

 with perspiration, the animal refuses to eat or drink. The fecal discharges 

 are frequent and of a greenish color. The heart is powerfully stimulated 

 and the action of the kidneys is increased slightly and the color of the 

 urine is normal. 



Remedies. There is little or nothing that can be done in cases of 

 oleander poisoning except the administration of an emetic in the case of 

 human beings. Emetics do little good with the lower animals. The 

 physician should combat the human symptoms, as they arise, remember- 

 ing that oleander poisoning is practically identical with that produced 

 by digitalis. 



Active Principles. Three active principles all of them glucosides 

 reside in oleander. Oleandrin as an amorphous mass showing the charac- 

 teristics of digitalin is the most important. Neriin and nerianthin are the 

 remaining two and have much less marked poisonous properties. 



Whorled Milkweed (Asckpias verticillata) . The whorled milk- weed 

 has only lately come into prominence as a poisonous plant in portions of 

 Colorado. The plant has angled stems, narrowly linear leaves in whorls 

 of two to four and greenish flowers tinged with purple of the usual milk 

 weed type. The plant is distributed from Maine to Florida to Texas to 

 Mexico and Arizona. The writer has found it on the Hempstead Plain in 

 western Long Island. 



A sheepman near Colona, Colorado lost eighty-five head of lambs which 

 he had turned into his orchard after they were brought down from the 

 range. The only poisonous plant in the orchard was the whorled milk- 

 weed. In the fall of 1916, a loss of 750 sheep out of a flock of 1400 was 

 reported from Cortez, Colorado. An examination of the stomach contents 

 was made by the Colorado station which showed that the sheep had eaten 

 practically nothing but milkweed. Grazing on the young plants, as 

 early, as June and throughout the summer months has proved disastrous. 



Solanaceae. This family contains a number of plants which are 

 celebrated as poisonous plants yielding, however, things of great medicinal 

 importance. The belladonna (Atropa Belladonna), is one of the most 

 important drug plants of this family, also poisonous. Hyoscyamus, 

 Scapola, Datura, and Mandragora are others. 



