POISONOUS PLANTS 211 



encountered a case in which a horse ate garden clippings 

 containing white bryony, and observed no abnormal symp- 

 toms save stiffness of the muscles of the loins, which passed 

 off on application of mustard and embrocation. 



Chemical Diag-nosis. — Bryonin and the glucosides of 

 allied nature are separated by organic solvents {e.g., chloro- 

 form) from the acid liquid in seeking for vegetable poisons. 

 Sulphuric acid colours bryonin orange-yellow, then red, 

 and, on warming, violet. Colocynth similarly gives a 

 yellowish - red and then brown colour, and elaterin a 

 yellowish-brown and then dark-red coloration. 



The chemical tests are not satisfactory or clearly diag- 

 nostic. Taken in conjunction with the finding of parts of 

 the suspected plants, such results of analysis are, however, 

 valuable confirmatory evidence. 



CRASSULACE^. 



The only species of this family native to Britain, and to 

 which poisonous properties are commonly assigned, belong 

 to the stone-crops — viz., Sedmn acre, common stone-crop, 

 wall-pepper, creeping jack, or gold-dust ; and Sedum album, 

 the white stone-crop. Both are found on walls and rocks, 

 th& former having yellow and the latter white flowers. 



They are stated to contain an acrid juice, and in S. acre 

 an alkaloid sedine, allied to piperine of pepper, but nothing of 

 a prepise- nature is known as to its composition. Poisoning 

 is not likely to occur, save, perhaps, among birds (Oornevin). 



Cornevin injected juice corresponding to 105 grains per 

 2 pounds body weight into a dog, and noted salivation 

 and muscular tremors, developing into choreic movements, 

 more marked in the posterior than the anterior members. 

 The respiration was deep and accelerated, and sense im- 

 paired. To this succeeded somnolence and coma, lasting 

 about twelve hours, when the normal condition was re- 

 gained. There was abundant urination and diarrhoea. 



Amongst the South African plants belonging to this 



