POISONOUS PLANTS 175 



time had repute as an abortive, but is not now used, and 

 H. fcetidus used to be given for quarter-evil. The active 

 principle is the glucoside hellehorein, along with a little of 

 the less powerful helleborin. The action is similar to that 

 of digitalis {q.v.). 



Toxic Doses. — Cornevin gives 9 ounces of the fresh root 

 as poisonous to the horse. The dried root he states as 

 toxic in 2J-ounce doses to the horse, and 120 to 150 grains 

 to the sheep. 



Mayer records * that a horse had in all 5 half-pints of 

 the chopped leaves of H.foRtidus in a bran mash during 

 two days, and was fatally poisoned. 



Symptoms. — A full dose of hellebore causes in the horse 

 and ox bloody purgation, salivation, attempts to vomit, and 

 excessive urination. Mayer similarly found violent straining 

 and the discharge of frothy mucus, but no effort to vomit. 

 The heart action resembles that observed in digitalis 

 poisoning, showing periodic intervals of arrest in systole. 



Post-Mortem Appearances. — Hellebore acts as an 

 irritant, and congestion of the fourth stomach and small 

 intestine have been recorded. The rumen is full, but the 

 fourth stomach and intestines may be empty, the inflam- 

 mation of the pylorus preventing the passage of food. 



Treatment. — This consists of purgatives, mucilaginous 

 draughts, stimulants, and in general measures similar to 

 those employed against digitalis. 



Chemical Diagnosis. — The glucosides of hellebore are 

 yielded to solvents in the systematic extraction of the acid 

 liquid in the search for organic poisons. There are no 

 satisfactory tests. Sulphuric acid on warming causes a 

 coloration passing from pink to red-violet, but a similar 

 reaction is given by many other substances. 



Delphinium. 



Delphinium Staphysagria (Fig. 19), or stavesacre, a native of 

 the South of Europe, is not found wild in Great Britain. The 



* Veterinarian, 1847, p. 5. 



