76 



in the way of remedial treatment. When poisoning has been discovered 

 the animals are either dead or dying or in such excitement that any attempt 

 at treatment tends to hasten death. 



In the case of human poisoning an emetic may be given at once and a 

 physician summoned. 



All plants should be grubbed out and destroyed, or they may be 

 readily pulled by hand in the spring when the ground is soft. On large 

 areas where grubbing out seems impossible, the land should not be used 

 as a pasture. 



WATER PARSNIP (Sium cicutaefolium Schrank) CARROT FAMILY. 



PLATE XXX. 



COMMON NAMES: This plant is also known as the hemlock water- 

 parsnip. 



DESCRIPTION: The water parsnip is an erect, stout, branched per- 

 ennial herb from two to six feet high. The lower leaves are long-stalked 

 and the uppermost are nearly sessile. Sometimes a few of the lower 

 leaves are submersed and finely dissected, but in general the leaflets are 

 undivided, one and one-half to five inches long, narrow, sharply pointed 

 and saw-edged. The umbels and umbellets of small white flowers are 

 subtended by numerous narrow bracts. The fruit is oval and prominently 

 ridged. It is in bloom from July to October. 



DISTRIBUTION: The water parsnip is a native of Canada. It is 

 common in low, marshy land, swamps, and on muddy banks, across the 

 continent. 



POISONOUS PROPERTIES : This plant has long been held as suspicious 

 and it has been reported as "antiscorbutic, diuretic and poisonous" by 

 Hyams of North Carolina. Pammel says it has been reported as poisonous 

 from several different sources. As far. as is known the toxic principles 

 have not been investigated, but there is no doubt that it is poisonous. 



One of our correspondents in Ontario recently lost several head of 

 cattle from eating water parsnip. In writing of the effect of this plant 

 upon his cows, he says: "It seemed to affect the kidneys and back. First 

 their water was red, then turned black as ink. They seemed to dry up. 

 They did not bloat at all. Their milk dried up the first day." A similar 

 case was reported from Saskatchewan. 



