THE TOOT- POISON OF NEW ZEALAND. 137 



2. The poisonous portion of the plant, 



a. To man, is generally the Seed, which is contained in a beautiful, 

 dark purple, luscious berry, resembling the blackberry, which clusters 

 closely in rich pendent racemes, and which is most tempting to chil- 

 dren ; occasionally the young Shoots of the plant, as it grows up in 

 spring : 



b. To cattle and sheep, in almost all cases, is the young Shoot, which 

 is tender, and succulent, resembling in appearance and taste the similar 

 state of asparagus. 



3. The following Peculiarities exist in regard to the action of the 

 Toot-poison : — 



a. A predisposition must exist, such predisposition being produced 

 in cattle and sheep by some of the following conditions or circum- 

 stances : — The animal is not habituated to the use of the plant ; it sud- 

 denly makes a larpe meal thereof after long fasting, or long feeding on 

 drier and less palatable materials, or after exhaustion by hard labour or 

 hot, dry weather. From some such cause, the digestive system is de- 

 ranged, and is susceptible of more serious disorder from the ingestion of 

 food to which the animal is, at the time, unaccustomed. Hence Toot- 

 poisoning frequently occurs in animals which have just been landed 

 from a long and fatiguing sea-voyage during which they have been 

 underfed or starved, to whom the young Toot-shoots present the most 

 juicy, fresh, pleasant diet. 



b. On the other hand, the same kinds of animals, habituated to the 

 use of the Toot-plant, not only do not suffer at all, but for them it is 

 regarded as quite equal in value to, and as safe as, clover as a pasture 

 food. It is an equal favourite with cattle and sheep, whether they have 

 been habituated or not. 



c. The predisposition in man is probably produced by analogous 

 conditions depressing the tone of his nervous and digestive systems, or 

 directly deranging them. Children are affected out of all proportion to 

 adults. 



d. Adults who have suffered from the poisonous action of Toot under 

 certain circumstances have been exempt from such action under certain 

 others — the same parts of the plant having been used, and apparently 

 in the same way, in both sets of instances. Moreover, the Toot-berries 

 enjoy, both among the Maoris and colonists, an enviable notoriety on 

 account of the agreeable and harmless wine and jellies they are capable 

 of yielding, the former whereof especially has long been greatly prized. 

 The seeds, however, in these cases probably do not enter into the com- 

 position of the said wine and jellies. 



4, The current Remedies for Toot-poisoning among the settlers are, 

 in regard to — 



a. Cattle and sheep — mainly bleeding, by slashing the ears and tail. 

 Belladonna has been variously tried, and favourably reported on ; by 

 others, stimulants are regarded as specifics (carbonate of ammonia, 



