194 BOVINE PATHOLOGY. 



flowered umbellif er, rather common, and readily detectable 

 from similar plants by its spotted stem. It causes 

 rapidly spreading paralysis of the voluntary muscles, then 

 of those of respiration, leading to death by apncea. The 

 pulse is small, feeble, and slow, the pupil dilated ; these 

 cases must be treated by evacuation of the rumen and 

 stimulants. 



Colchicum autumnale, the meadow saffron, is a bulbous, 

 lily-like plant, with purple flowers, frequent in this 

 country. When consumed by cattle it causes violent 

 catharsis, the faeces being nearly liquid and fetid, tym- 

 pany and other signs of abdominal disorder, pupils 

 dilated, perspiration, loss of power, coldness of extremi- 

 ties, syncope, and death. After death there are found 

 blood extravasations in the alimentary canal and ecchy- 

 moses of serous membranes. 



Treatment : careful nursing, emollients, also enemas ; 

 opium, to counteract the tendency to anaemia of the brain. 



Yew {Taxus haccata). — When fodder is scarce cattle 

 will feed on this plant. Dr. John^s, in the ' Treasury 

 of Botany,^ says : " It appears, from all accounts, that the 

 poison is more virulent in the young shoots than in any 

 other part of the tree, but that it exists in greater or less 

 quantities, both in the leaves and in the green bark. The 

 leaves are more dangerous in a half- dry state than 

 when fresh.'' Yew shoots are too often carelessly left 

 about after cutting. They produce a powerful sedative 

 effect. Sometimes the animal is found dead with yew 

 in his mouth. When seen before death the patient is found 

 to have a rapidly sinking pulse and the ordinary sedative 

 signs. On post-mortem examination, blood extravasations 

 in the alimentary canal may be noted, but sometimes they 

 are entirely absent. The stomach is full, and generally 

 contains the yew shoots. Little can be done in such cases, 

 except the administration of stimulants and cathartics, and 

 clearing out the stomach by means of the stomach-pump, 

 or ruminotomy. Why cattle should be able to eat much 

 green yew with impunity is uncertain. 



Digitalis (D.]pnr2)nrea), foxglove, a well-known British 



