SOUTH AFRICAN PLANTS. 587 



tolerated under any other circumstances. I can, therefore, re- 

 commend Dr. Mueller's treatment as being worthy of a trial." 



If the bite has been inflicted on a limb, place a tight tourniquet 

 on it between the wound and the heart, and try to prolong the 

 period of admission of the poison into the blood by taking off 

 the ligature for, say, a couple of seconds, and then instantly put 

 it on again. Open out the wound with the knife, and freely caute- 

 rise with a red-hot iron or with some strong acid. If strychnine 

 cannot be obtained, give large doses of spirits (brandy or whisky) 

 and water. 



South African Poisonous Plants. 



Those of us who know South Africa, are aware that on the veldt 

 there are many poisonous plants which Colonial-bred horses avoid, 

 but which are readily eaten by imported animals. This most useful 

 form of botanical knowledge has been one of the chief factors in 

 making South African horses the best equine campaigners during 

 the Boer war. Veterinary-Lieutenant A. J. Williams, A.V.D., has 

 written in the "Veterinary Record," 11th Jan., 1902, a very inter- 

 esting article on this subject. He tells us that tulip grass, or " tulp," 

 is very common in many parts of South Africa, and that on one occa- 

 sion, out of 44 English horses, which belonged to a battery, 16 

 died from eating it. The symptoms are those of extremely severe 

 and violent, flatulent colic, and the best treatment is immediate 

 puncture of the large intestine with a trocar and cannula, and 

 Professor Dick's old colic drench, which is composed of 2 oz. of 

 turpentine, 2 oz. of laudanum, and a pint of linseed oil. Mr. 

 Williams also tells us that the eating of pepper bush or sterl-os, 

 which has a very hot taste, produces in horses severe diarrhoea and 

 abdominal pain, to counteract which he advises an ounce of chloro- 

 dyne in a pint of linseed oil. The chlorodyne may be repeated in 

 half-ounce doses in water, without the oil, which, in the first in- 

 stance, is useful in removing the cause of the malady. Ink bush, which 

 is a small green shrub, produces such severe inflammation of the 

 stomach and intestines, when eaten, that the animal often dies in 

 from six to twelve hours. Mr. Williams has not been able to find 

 any cure for this form of poisoning. 



Strychnine. 



See "Nux Vomica." 



