440 



MANUAL OF POISONOUS PLANTS 



Fig. 216. Meadow Lychnis 

 (Lychnis Flos-cuculi). Con- 

 tains saponin. (After Fitch.) 



Fig. 217. Corn cockle (Agrostemma Gith- 

 ago). a, sprays showing flowers and seed 

 capsule, one-third natural size; b, seed, nat- 

 ural size; b', seed, four times natural size. 

 (U. S. Dept. Agr.) 



Poisonous properties. According to Kruskal, the seeds contain githagin 

 2(C 17 H 2g O 1;l ). The ripe dried seeds are broken into a coarse powder and used 

 in medicine. Dr. Millspaugh gives the proportions as follows: "Five parts by 

 weight of alcohol are poured upon the powder, and the whole allowed to stand 

 eight days in a well stoppered bottle in a dark cool place, shaking thoroughly 

 twice a day." The tincture is somewhat acrid. The seeds of the cockle are 

 frequently used to adulterate cheaper grades of flour in Europe. Dr. Millspaugh 

 gives a case in which death followed where two 14J^ oz. lots of wheat flour 

 containing respectively 30% and 45% of these seeds were fed to two calves. 

 This amount of cockle caused severe cramps of the stomach within an hour, 

 followed by diarrhoea and finally death. Where ducks and geese ate the seeds, 

 death followed when sufficient was taken, and the post-mortem showed inflamma- 

 tion of the bowels. Prof. Pierce states that this is especially true when the 

 seeds are crushed. A large amount of screenings are sold for chicken feed, 

 and frequently complaints are made of poison, or at least that chickens will not 

 eat the screenings. 



In describing symptoms indicative of poisoning by corn cockle, which, Dr. 

 Allen says, place the seeds among the cerebro-spinal irritants, he agrees es- 

 sentially with Dr. Chesnut. 



