Yew Foisoning. 
701 
the stomach being examined, they were found to contain a 
double handful of yew, and the coats of the stomach were 
destroyed. This tree was at once cut down. The soil here is 
on the Chalk in the deep Tertiary drift. 
At Fonthill, in Wilts, English yew trees are scattered over 
the Park and sweep the ground. Cattle, sheep, and horses 
browse on the grass, and have free access to the trees. No case of 
loss or poisoning has ever been known to occur here within the 
forty years of my experience. This locality is underlaid by Chalk, 
Greensand, and Upper Oolite. 
The only instance within my knowledge of the death of a 
donkey from eating yew occurred at Wilbury Park, Wilts, where 
a favourite donkey belonging to Lord Stalbridge, who then 
occupied W'ilbury, died, I am informed, from undoubted yew 
poisoning. This Park had been fed by cattle, without any ill 
results from the yew trees, which were perfectly accessible to 
them. AVilbury is on the Chalk. 
In May, 1891, at Hani 2 :»worth, Wilts, a cock-jiheasant was 
ihcketl ujJ, just dead, by a tenant, under a yew tree, and was 
brought to tlie head-keeper before becoming stitf. On o^^ening 
it, in the croj) and stomach were found undigested maize and 
yew spines. This part of the estate consists of plastic clay, 
sands and gravels, of the Bagsliot series. 
Elias P. St^UAUEY. 
11 . 
There is so much diversity of opinion as to the effect of the. 
leaves and twigs of the yew tree upon farm stock that it is 
desirable to put concisely together what is actually known as to 
this from a scientific and practical point of view. The question 
was recently raised in the columns of The Times, and from the 
numerous letters which ap|)eared there, and the length of time 
allowed for this correspondence, it must be held to be one of 
considerable imjiortance. It was admitted on all sides that yew 
has poisonous properties, and numerous instances were given of 
horses, cattle, and sheep having died after eating it, but it was 
said by some that it was harmful only in a dry state. Others 
declared that the green leaves and twigs were injurious, hlany 
believed that they were only fatal to animals in a fasting condi- 
tion, and many also expressed the idea that the foliage of tlie 
female plant was harmless, and that of the male noxious. 
Sufficient evidence is forthcoming to satisfy the most 
credulous that yew leaves are poisonous to stock. Anyone who 
knowingly allowed farm animals to remain within browsing dis- 
