4§6' ^uppiemmt io the " Tropical Agricuiturist." f Dec. 1, l&OS. 
called senna, and Herpestis (lunuwila) so well 
known in native medicine. Examples of dye 
producing leaves are Indigo (nil-awari) and 
Memecylon (weli-kaha), which respectively yield 
blue and yellow dyes. 
Tea leaves deserve to be specially mentioned 
owing to the extensive use of the prepared leaf as 
a standard beverage. 
Oil is got from certain leaves such a? those of 
the Cinnamon tree (kurundu) and Citronella grass 
(pangiri-mann). 
The value of the leaves of many grasses a? cattle 
food needs only to be mentioned to you. Of 
cultivated fodders we have in Ceylon only two, 
viz., Mauritius or watergrass (diya-tanakola) and 
Guinea-grass (rata-tana). 
Of leaf fibres you have a very good instance in 
bowstring hemp (niyaiida), while the coconut and 
palmyrah palm fnrnish examples of the special 
uses which leaves are put to in the tropic?, such 
as for thatching, for mats, baskets, fans, brooms, 
and so on. 
There is a peculiar class of plants (in which 
am sure you will be greatly interested) that have 
leaves of a special structure with special functions 
to perform. These are Itie plants which are able 
to capture, and, so to speak, devour insects. For 
the present I just wish to introduce two rather 
common plants of this class to you. One is 
the pitcher plant (bandura wel), in which the so- 
called pitcher is nothing more than a transformed 
leaf. Get a specimen, examine it carefully, and 
prove this for yourself. Some people fancy that 
the fluid in the pitcher is rain water. This 
is not so, as you will find pitchers with the 
lids still unopened, containing fluid, which is 
thus clearly supplied by the plant itself. Look 
for insects that have been drowned by falling 
into open pitchers. The lid is not, as some 
think, part of a trap for capturing, and the insects 
die through drowning in the irritating fluid 
into which they fall in their search for food. 
The peculiar structure of the leaf aids in their 
destruction. 
Another of these plants, found also in damp 
sandy places, is the Drosera (wattaessa). The 
structure of the leaf is not so peculiar, 
but you will find the surface covered with 
stiffish red hairs which close on insects like 
So many fingers, and retain a hold on them till 
they are killed. Look for insects on the leaves 
of the Drosera. 1 am sure you will think these 
leaves very beautiful, with little drops of 
fluid at the ends of the red hairs, glistening 
like dew in the sun. Thus it is that the 
plant gets its name' Sun-Dew." 
♦ 
DISEASES INCIDENTAL TO PEEGNANCY— 
AND PARTUKITION IN THE COW. 
[H. M. CaicHTON, M.E.C.S.V.3 
PABTtJRIENT ECLAMPSIA. 
Definition.— Au epileptic and convulsive affec- 
tion, affecting the cerebro-spinal nervous system 
accompanied by tonic and clonic spasms o£ the 
muscles of various regions of the body. It occurs 
in cowB both before and after parturition. 
Causes. — Opinions differ in regard to the cause; 
by some it is supposed to be due to the retention 
of urinary elements in the blood, by others to 
hj'perasmia of the brain, and by others still to 
reflex irritation of nervous system, which bring 
about renal insufficiency and albuminuria, and 
exposure to cold winds and wet may bring on the 
disease. 
Symptoms. — The cow takes suddenly ill by 
foaming at the mouth, champing the jaws, full 
wild staring eye?, excited expression of counten- 
ance, head turned to the side, sometimes pulling 
back on the chain, licking at fore leg, edge of 
feeding trough, or anywhere convenient ; some 
cows bellow, others don't ; twitching of the 
muscles of body and limbs, sometimes difl5culty of 
respiration, sometimes cow becomes comatose. 
Most cases occur after calving, those which occur 
before are generally about mid-term, and in 
heifers. The attacks after calving generally occur 
from eight to sixteen days afterwards. The 
disease occurs in cows of all ages, and generally 
in cows of lean condition. The reverse to this 
happens in parturient apoplexy, as it is a fat cow 
and a good milker that goes down with it. The 
most of cases do not get off their feet, although 
I have had them that did, and lay for a night 
before getting up again. It might be possible 
to confound this disease with partuiiont apoplexy, 
but if we are careful to note the symptoms it 
should not happen. I will endeavour to point 
out the essential differences between the symptoms 
of the one and the other. There are about eight 
prominent symptoms that we should bear in mind 
when we are called in to see cases of this descrip- 
tion. I will enumerate them as follows : — 
Parturient Apoplexy. 
It mostly occurs in cows at third calving and. 
afterwards. 
It never occurs before calving, and generally 
within forty-eight hours tliereof. 
One attack predisposes to another one, 
Most common in fat cows. 
Patient fails to keep standing. 
Rapidly followed by coma. 
Earliest period of recovery is generally eight to 
sixteen hours. 
Prognosis generally very unfavourable till 
Schmidt treatment found out ; now more 
favourable. 
Parturient Eclampsia, 
Occurs in cows of all ages, but mostly at first 
and second calving. 
Occurs in cows before calving ; if after calving 
hardly ever before the eighth to sixteenth 
days. 
One attack not necessarily succeeded by another 
at next calving. 
Most common in lean cows. 
' Patient mostly can stand through attack. 
The cow only occasionally becomes comatose. 
Recovery takes place in a few hours generally. 
Prognosis favourable and the treatmient success- 
ful. 
Now, gentlemen, these are the principal features 
in contrasting these two diseases, and I will now 
give you the most successful treatment that 1-^ 
