o88 poisoNma. 



Vetch Poisoning. 



There have been many cases of poisoning by the eating of Lathy- 

 rus sativus, and the " dog-tooth " or Riga vetoh. As the effects of 

 the poison contained in these two seeds seem to be identical, I shall 

 consider them under one heading. Owing to its cheapness, the 

 Lathyrus sativus is imported in large quantities into England, where 

 it is known as " Indian mutturs " or " Indian pease." Both of 

 these terms are incorrect ; for it is a vetch, not a pea ; and the Hin- 

 dustanee word " muttur," signifies, pea. In that language, this 

 seed is known as Kussaree dal. It is a good deal smaller than an 

 English pea, and is of a dark gi'ey colour. Its continued consumption 

 often causes a form of paralysis in man, not unlike that of kumree 

 (p. 543) in horses. It is used as a food only by the poorest 

 classes in India. In England, it is employed, either whole or as 

 so-called " pea meal," almost entirely to adulterate horse and cattle 

 food. Astier (see Watts's " Dictionary of the Economic Products of 

 India ") has shown that the poison in this vetch consists of a vola- 

 tile liquid alkaloid which can be destroyed by heat. From observa- 

 tions I have made in India, concerning the effects of this seed on 

 human beings, I have reason to believe that the heat evolved during 

 ordinary cooking is not always sufficient to render this poison inert. 

 McCall found that feeding horses on \\ lbs. of boiled Lathyrus 

 sativus, given daily with other food, produced no untoward symp- 

 toms, and consequently inferred " that boiling the peas destroys the 

 poison, or at all events modifies the action of the active principle 

 or poison contained in them." The effect of this poison appears 

 to be cumulative and proportionate to its amount; other things 

 being equal. Although in some cases no injurious result will be 

 come developed in, say, three or four months, if the horse be given 

 from 3 to 4 lbs. of this \^etch daily. Absom mentions that " as a 

 test case an old horse was given from 9 to 10 lbs. of the vetches 

 every day for nearly five weeks, and he showed all the symptoms 

 of poisoning at the end of that time." Although paralysis of the 

 hind limbs (pp. 543 and 546) is not uncommon among hoTses in 

 India ; I have never observed it to be complicated by roaring ; and 

 am consequently convinced that such cases of paralysis are not due 

 to vetch poisoning. This belief is still further strengthened by the 

 fact that the Lathyrus sativus is rarely, if ever, used in India as a 

 food for horses. 



SYMPTOMS. — The symptoms, which generally come on suddenly, 

 are essentially those of more or less pronounced paralysis, chiefly of 

 the muscles of the limbs and of breathing. Beyond frequency of 



