POISONOUS PLANTS 201 



i pound of seeds, will produce poisoning. The poisoning 

 in Germany was most common about 1880, when nearly 

 6 per cent, of the sheep in Pomerania died of lupinosis. 



Symptoms. — Acute lupinosis is marked by inappetence, 

 dyspnoea, and fever, the temperature rising by 1° to 

 2°, haematuria, circulatory, and digestive derange- 

 ments ; trembling, spasms, and vertigo. Jaundice is 

 characteristic. In the chronic form the interstitial hepatitis 

 predominates. 



Post-Mortem Appearances. — The liver shows fatty 

 degeneration, kidneys inflamed and urine icteric, spleen 

 soft and tumefied. The first stomachs are inflamed, and 

 there is effusion of blood in the intestine, peritoneum, and 

 on the skin. CEdema of the lungs, larynx, and pia mater is 

 constant. 



Treatment. — The treatment of lupinosis consists in the 

 exhibition of acidified water to hinder absorption, owing to 

 the insolubility of lupinotoxine in acids. Change of diet is 

 necessary, and removal of the cause by oily purgatives. 



Active Principle. — An active principle is extracted by 

 means of 2'5 per cent, soda from lupines, and has been 

 named lupinotoxine (Arnold), or icterogene (Kuhne), from the 

 jaundice characteristic of lupinosis. It is possible that the 

 poison is formed by the agency of moulds after storage, as 

 lupine is not constant in its actions, but the point cannot be 

 regarded as settled. Little is known of the chemistry of 

 icterogene, which is not soluble in water or acids, withstands 

 three hours dry heating of 190° I'., but loses its toxicity on 

 moist heating at 2*5 atmospheres pressure. Detection of 

 lupine poisoning by analysis is therefore impossible, but a 

 diagnosis is certain if jaundice and the general symptoms 

 follow the use of the food. 



Trifolium hybridum. 



The well-known " alsike clover " differs from white or 

 Dutch clover (Trifolium repens) in having a pale pink 

 flower, and stem erect and branched, without roots at 



