POISONING OF SHEEP BY SOLANUM CINEREUM. Los 
POISONING OF.SHEEP BY SOLANUM CINHREUM. 
By SypnrEY Dopp, F.R.C.V.S., D.V.Sce., 
Lecturer in Veterinary Pathology and Bacteriology, the University 
of Sydney. 
[Read before the Royal Society of N. S. Wales, September 6, 1922. ] 
HARLY during the present year, Mr. Stock Inspector White 
of Merriwa, forwarded a dried specimen of a plant locally 
_known as “‘Wild Tomato,” to the Chief Inspector of Stock, 
Sydney, for the purpose of ascertaining what was known 
concerning it. The plant was suspected by a stock owner 
in the above district of causing, on more than one occasion, 
the death of a number of his sheep. A specimen had pre- 
viously been sent to the Government Botanist, Mr. J. H. 
Maiden, who identified it as Solanum cinereum and stated 
that it was a native plant, its popular name being °Nar- 
rawa Burr.’’ It had spread a good deal during the past 
few years and to such an extent that several Shires had 
proclaimed it a noxious weed. He had no knowledge of 
its being poisonous to stock but suggested that as it 
belonged to the Solanacez, which includes some undoub- 
tedly poisonous species. Veterinary opinion should be 
sought on the subject. 
As a result of correspondence after the experiments to 
be described had been completed, Mr. White stated that 
odd plants were to be found in the Merriwa district, but it 
is only on certain holdings that it is growing in any quantity 
and here it is becoming somewhat of a pest. Prior to the 
above incident, he had never heard of the plant being 
suspected of poisoning stock. Some sheep had at times 
died mysteriously, but death had usually been attributed 
