182 Yew Poisoning. 
In the succeeding week, January 28, Mrs. Charlotte Starky, of 
Bromham, wrote : — 
I remember, during a severe frost about 1 881, that several of the finest 
and oldest deer in Compton Park were killed by eating yew. The pond 
was frozen over, and the deer walked over the ice to a small islet where a 
yew tree grew, of which they ate and died. Mr. Penruddocke had them 
examined to ascertain the cause of death, and the yew was found to have 
poisoned them. 
The incident related in the foregoing letter was corroborated by 
Mr. Penruddocke, of Compton Park, Salisbury, who, writing on 
February 4, said : — 
I can corroborate what Mrs. Charlotte Starky writes in her letter about 
the deer dying in Compton Park from eating yew. During the severe winter of 
1881 the upper pond was frozen over and covered with snow, which afforded 
a foothold for the deer. Three bucks died from eating yew on the islet — a 
two-year buck, i.e., 6, rising 7 ; a bare buck, i.e., 4, rising 5 ; and a sore, i.e., 
a young deer, 3, rising 4. The oldest deer was found dead but warm. 
The next reached about 100 yards from the islet and fell dead. The 
youngest deer was found on the islet and driven out. It ran about 300 
yards, then stopped suddenly, jumped straight up on end, and, falling back- 
wards, expired. A post-mortem examination was made of the largest buck. 
Its intestines were found to be swelled and filled with the bark of the 
branches of dead or dried yew. The passages were stopped, and the intes- 
tines and lungs were of a purple or plum colour. 
I have a large yew tree in the park, which is not fenced in. The park- 
keeper is careful to pick up and carry away all withered droppings from 
this tree. The bucks knock off green sprays with their horns, and eat them 
without, apparently, any bad effect. 
On February 11, 1893, the subjoined letter appeared from Mr. 
Thomas Hobbs, of Malshanger Farm, Basingstoke : — 
A short time before leaving Wiltshire I lost a valuable horse, costing 
me 40/., from eating yew. My horses w r ere ploughing and pressing in a field, 
and about an hour before leaving for the day the trace-horse laid hold of 
some yew in the hedge as they were turning round. Nothing appeared 
amiss until the horses got near the stable, and I believe the horse drank 
some water. The lad came running for me, saying the horse was very bad, 
and, though I had only a very short distance to go, before I reached the 
stable the horse was dead. Of course I have since then been most careful 
to keep all my cattle from eating yew. I have heard of several losses in a 
similar way since I have been in Hampshire. Two things, it seems to me, 
should be the practical outcome of this correspondence: first, all owners of 
land should cease to cultivate the yew ; and second, they should destroy as 
fast as possible a tree that has proved so disastrous to the public. 
Some experimental evidence on the subject of yew poisoning 
will be found recorded at page 141 of this number of the Journal. 
Ed. 
