226 VETEEINAEY TOXICOLOGY 



diseased there is more change in the fourth stomach, and 

 tnce versa. 



In the horse, Chambers observed in six of nine cases 

 enormous distension of the stomach. In eight cases the 

 heart and aorta were greatly enlarged. 



CAMPANULACE^. 



Lobelia urens, or acrid lobelia, is the only poisonous 

 species of this family found wild in Britain, and is very 

 rare, being found on moist heaths in Dorset and Cornwall. 



The genus Lobelia is widely diffused, though scarce, in 

 the greater part of Europe, and is found in America and 

 Australasia. Of American lobelias, L. inflata (Indian 

 tobacco), kalmii, spicata, and syphilitica, are regarded as 

 suspicious, and are sometimes found in meadow hay. 



Active Principle. — The lobelias contain an alkaloid, 

 lobeline, analogous in many physiological respects to 

 nicotine and conine. It is extracted for pharmaceutical 

 purposes from the leaves of the American Lobelia inflata. 



Symptoms. — G-. Fleming,* in 1873, gave an account of 

 poisoning by a lobelia in Australia. According to his 

 observations, after eating plentifully of the plant, cattle 

 show lassitude, and on being driven hard, or suddenly 

 startled, drop in convulsions, death following in a few 

 minutes. , 



According to Cornevin, lobelia causes some inflammation, 

 and acts like belladonna. 



Chemical Diagnosis. — The alkaloid lobeline, separated 

 from organic matter, is not very well characterised by 

 diagnostic tests. In a neutral solution potassium bi- 

 chromate gives a yellow precipitate (c/. strychnine), and 

 Frohde's reagent colours violet, deepening within about two 

 hours, and eventually becoming brown. The pure alkaloid 

 does not give this reaction. 



* Veterimwria/n, 1873, p. 451. 



