222 VETBEINAEY TOXICOLOGY 



■which had broken into a plantation and eaten the herb, 

 showed salivation, champing, gritting of the teeth, and 

 twitching of the facial muscles. The tongue, which was 

 slightly protruded, had an abraded patch about as large as 

 a crown-piece, about 3 inches from the tip, and was very 

 swollen and sensitive. 



In a test experiment on cattle the plant was found by 

 Moir to produce violent inflammation of the tongue and 

 mouth. 



COMPOSITiE. 



The very large and widely- distributed order of Com- 

 jpositm fortunately embraces comparatively few poisonous 

 plants, but in all parts of the world poisoning has been 

 more or less definitely attributed to some spec;ies. 



In Europe the possibility of poisoning by Artemisia on 

 account of the volatile oil of absinth has been noted {q.v.), 

 whilst Lactuca virosa, closely allied to L. scariola, the wild 

 or prickly lettuce, has a whitish latex of disagreeable odour. 

 It is not eaten willingly by animals, and no doubt large 

 quantities would be required to cause harm. Its effects 

 recall those of opium, the general action being one of 

 narcosis. 



In Algeria the roots of Atractylis gummifera are noted by 

 Cornevin as being sometimes eaten by stock in times of 

 scarcity, and to exert narcoto-irritant, conjoined to cardiac 

 effects, resembling those of colchicum. 



In the United States Helenium autumnale, the sneeze- 

 wort, stagger-weed, or false sunflower, is alleged to kill 

 sheep, cattle, and horses, unfamiliar with yb in the Southern 

 and Eastern States. Though generally avoided by stock, 

 it is further alleged that a taste for it is sometimes 

 developed. Species of Solidago, or golden-rod, have been 

 blamed for the poisoning of horses in Wisconsin, but the 

 damage may be due to a parasitic growth on the plant. 



In Texas seedlings of Xanthium canadense, or cocklebur, 

 have been reported as rapidly fatal to pigs, and X. spinosum 



