534 MANUAL OF POISONOUS PLANTS 



from Astragalus mollissimus, Gompholobium, Sophora secundiflora, Cytisus pro- 

 liferus, are all cerebral. Mac Owen regards them all as belonging to the same 

 category and that Lathyrism caused by Lathyrus sativus is allied to them. That 

 the well known forage plants Lotus corniculatus, and L. australis, of excellent 

 repute, are often injurious to stock, but perhaps only from causing indigestion, 

 as stated by Maiden, is worthy of note in this connection. Moussu and Desaint 

 report the deaths of a flock of 54 sheep due to poison resulting from eating an- 

 other plant of this order, Galega officinalis; 80 others in the same flock were 

 badly affected. Ecchymoses were found in the walls of the alimentary tract and 

 in the fatal cases a large amount of serum had collected in the pleural cavity. 

 In subsequent experiments, it was found that 3 kg. of G. officinalis was sufficient 

 to poison a sheep ; the plant, however, seems not to be poisonous to rabbits. 

 It is of interest to note that the genera Robinia, Indigofera, Wisteria, Caragana, 

 Colutea, Swainsona, Galega, Lessertia, Astragalus, and Sesbania, all of which con- 

 tain poisonous species, many of which are exceedingly toxic, belong to the tribe 

 Galcgeae of this family. Glychyrrhiza of the same tribe is not poisonous nor 

 are all of the species in genera like Astragalus, Caragana, etc. 



The Hrythrophlaeum guineense contains an alkayoid erythophlein which 

 acts like digitalin and picrotoxin. The Indigo of Australia (Indigofera aus- 

 tralis) is regarded as poisonous in Australia. The Lathyrus sativus, L. cicera, 

 and L. clymneum are poisonous but the active principles have not been isolated. 

 Of other poisonous genera Robinia, Baptisia, Gymnoclcdus, Thermopsis, may be 

 mentioned, but the treatment will be given more at length in another connection. 



According to Dunstan and Henry, Lotus arabicus, when moistened with 

 water and crushed, produces prussic acid. The glucoside lotusin is converted 

 by the enzyme lotase into prussic acid. We may mention here that many of 

 the spiny Acacias {A. palleus) of Australia may be injurious in a mechanical 

 way. 



The poisonous substance of Jequirity (Abrus precatorius) is a toxalmumin 

 called abrin (found also in Cassia hispidula of Mexico) which is easily de- 

 composed by heat. Behring has produced an antitoxin against the abrin or A. 

 precatorius. The beans when cooked are eaten in Egypt. 



A poisonous resin has been found in Wisteria chinensis, and a glucoside 

 wisterin; Colutea arbor esc ens, a well known southern European ornamental 

 plant is poisonous, the leaves being so strongly purgative that they are frequent- 

 ly substituted for the genuine Senna. European authors list it among the 

 poisonous plants. 



The Tephrosia purpurea of Australia is poisonous to stock, and is used to 

 stupefy fish. A large number of other plants of the order are used as fish 

 poisons. Mention may be made of Derris, Abrus and Clitoria; others are men- 

 tioned in Part I. Some like Afzelia and Pithecolobiun are used as arrow poi- 

 sons. The seeds of the jequirity plant (Abrus precatorius) are much used in 

 India for the purpose of poisoning especially in criminal cases of cattle poison- 

 ing, less than 2 grams of the powdered seed causing death in 48 hours. The 

 usual method of the "Chamar" or "Skinner" caste is to prepare small spikes, 

 first soaking the seeds in water, then pounding them, and drying them in the 

 sun ; they are then sharpened upon a stone attached to a handle, and driven under 

 the skin and left there. Daggers are rendered poisonous by being dipped into 

 the powdered seed. 



