FOOD 187 



Stipa viridula var. robusta, locally known as ' Sleepy Grass,' 

 throws animals into a profound stupor for twenty-four 

 hours or more ; they recover from this, and will never 

 again partake of the grass.* 



The Oleander, Nermm oleander, a shrub very common in 

 South Africa is excessively poisonous ; both the leaves and 

 wood contain an active principle which is allied to Digi- 

 taline. A single tuft of the leaves will kill a horse. The 

 oleander of India is equally poisonous, and frequently used 

 for criminal purposes. 



The Ehododendron and Laurel are both poisonous to 

 animals ; the former produces drowsiness, stupor and death. 

 The Laurel, especially the variety known as the Cherry 

 Laurel, contains an oil rich in prussic acid. The principal 

 symptom is convulsions ; the antidote is atropine if the case 

 can be seen in time. 



Tulp, Homeria pallida (Fig. 50), though commonly spoken 

 of as a grass, belongs to the Iris family. When first 

 growing it looks exactly like grass, and as it appears early 

 in the spring before the ordinary grass has time to grow, 

 ib is frequently partaken of by horses and cattle. 



It prefers low lying ground where it gets the needful 

 moisture, aiid grows one and a half to two feet high. The 

 common variety has a yellow flower, other species, of 

 which forty-five are known, have blue or lilac flowers. 



Both leaves and flowers are poisonous, the symptoms 

 rapidly appear, great abdominal pain, excessive tympany, 

 and death soon occurs. In cattle the eyeballs are retracted, 

 which is regarded by South African farmers as indicative of 



the trouble. 



The treatment which has given the best results is rapid 

 purging by means of Eserine.t The Zulus administer the 

 corm of the plant after burning it ; this probably acts by 



* Professor MacOwan, Agricultural Journal Cape of Good Hope, 



1892. , ^-r 



t A. S. Head, Lieut., A.V.D., 'The Wear and Tear of Horses 



during the South African War,' Jnl. Comp. Pathology, vol. xvi., 

 Part iv. 



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