14 RanuTiculacese [ch. 



The poisoning of two cows by H. viridis came under the notice of 

 Comevin. There was observed loss of appetite, diarrhoea, tenesmus, 

 violent attempts to evacuate, which after 5 or 6 days resulted only in 

 the expulsion of glareous blackish matter; to the end the pidse was 

 slow and intermittent. The heart beats were weak, and after 5 or 6 

 beats there was a stop equal in duration to at least a beat and a half. 

 A remarkable fact was the very gradual loss of condition, while the milk 

 secretion was maintained until the last day. In one case death occurred 

 after 12 days and in the other after 28 days. 



EEFERENCES. 

 63, 81, 130, 140, 170, 190, 203, 205, 213, 233, 254. 



Larkspur (Delphinium Ajacis Beich.). In the United States of 

 America certain species of Larkspur are exceedingly harmful to live 

 stock, and it has been said that "with the exception of the Loco weeds 

 there is probably no poisonous plant on the cattle ranges of the West 

 that has caused such heavy losses to stockmen as has larkspur" {Far. 

 Bui. 53, U. S. Dept. Agric.). D. Ajacis is the only British species, 

 occurring in cornfields in Cambridgeshire, Sussex and elsewhere, and, 

 like the Continental species D. Consolida, must be regarded as poisonous 

 and fatal to cattle, while horses and sheep may also sufEer. Sheep and 

 goats, however, appear to resist the poison unless taken in considerable 

 quantity. Wilcox fatally poisoned a yearling lamb within an hour of 

 administering per os the extract from less than 1 oz. of the dried leaves 

 of an American species. The seeds are the most dangerous part of the 

 Larkspur, and should never be ground up with wheat should the two 

 plants grow together. The seeds of D. Staphisagria are used in 

 medicine. 



Toxic Principle. The species D. Ajacis has been little studied, but 

 D. ConsoUda and D. Staphisagria contain the alkaloids Delphinine 

 (C31H49O7N), very poisonous and having a bitter taste; Delphisine 

 (C31H49O7N), which is extremely poisonous ; Ddphinoidine (C42He8N207), 

 which is poisonous ; and Staphisagrine. 



Symptoms. The seeds are stated to be emetic and purgative, and 

 D. Consolida is stated by Pott to be an acute narcotic poison to horses 

 and cattle. In general the symptoms appear to resemble those produced 

 by Aconitum (p. 15). There is salivation, vomiting, coUc, convulsions, 

 and general paralysis (Miiller). 



REFERENCES. 

 16, 63, 93, 128, 130. 190, 203, 204, 205, 213, 233. 



