208 
its poisonous character altogether, perhaps suggesting it may have been confused with 
some other plant, or he may advance the theory that " it does not appear to be dangerous 
to stock accustomed to eat it." At the same time it is sometimes a useful fodder plant. 
" Sheep cat it sparingly," Mt. Lyndhurst (Max Koch). 
Following are specimens of reports made in the days before we knew anything 
of cyanogenetic glucosides : 
It does not appear to be dangerous to stock accustomed to eat it, but to others, 
travelling stock particularly, Mr. Hutchinson, of Warrego (Q.), considers it to be deadly. 
The effects of this plant are always worst after rain. It appears to be most dangerous 
when in fruit. (Bailey and Gordon.) 
" Native Fuchsia " (Eremophila maculata). The leaves and fruit of this plant have been credited 
with having poisonous properties, but, from information obtainable here, I must conclude that it is quite 
innocuous, stock being very fond of it; so much so that on many of tho runs no plants can be found 
excepting in the horse paddocks, sheep being particularly fond of it. The shrubs I have seen attained no 
great height, being kept down by stock. When in bloom it is most attractive. (11. W. Peacock, then of 
the Coolabah Experiment Farm.) 
The following reports were published by me in the Agricultural Gazette of New 
South Wales during the year 1898 : 
The Stock Inspector from Bourke district reports that a large number of travelling sheep died from 
eating fuchsia bush in the Bourke district. The sheep were in good condition, and not hungry. After 
having watered them, of those that ate the plant some 300 died, fifty of them almost immediately, the 
remainder in three hours afterwards. He opened several of the sheep, and found that the last food they 
had eaten was this fuchsia bush. In the reply sent to the Inspector it was suggested that the sheep might 
have died from hoven, and that I was not aware that a toxic principle had ever been extracted from the 
natural order of plants to which it belongs. Shortly afterwards the Inspector of Stock, Hungerford, north- 
west of Bourke, reported that a number of cattle had been poisoned when travelling over the country where 
the plant grows, which only seems to poison stock in the winter (p. 741). 
" Mr. T. W. Mackie, Inspector of Stock for Hungerford, wrote to the Chief Inspector of Stock 
stating that he had made a thorough trial of the plant Eremophila maculata on two sheep, which were 
starved for ninety-six hours before the plant was given them to eat. They ate the plant, and were then 
held in the pen for thirty-six hours, but the plant did not seem to have any bad effect on them, so they 
were turned out." 
This plant was accused of killing sheep at Listowel Station, Queensland. Around this particular 
bush, from which specimens were sent to me for investigation, no less than eight wethers were found dead, 
I pointed out that this plant is esteemed in some districts as a useful fodder plant. As regards deaths 
attributed to it, it must be ascertained that the animals did not die from anthrax or from hoven (p 381 
1899). 
F. B. Guthrie (Agricultural Gazette, Oct. 1899) published an analysis as follows : 
Wild Fuchsia. Water 33-32, ash 3-88, fibre 5-13, ether extract (oil, &c.) 1-49, 
albumenoids 9-06, carbo-hydrates 47-10, nutrient value 59J, albumenoid ratio 1 : 5j, 
tannin (oak bark) 3-0. 
In the Queensland Agricultural Journal for December, 1910, p. 291, J. C. Brunnich 
and F. Smith published a paper, " The poisonous principle of Native Fuchsia (Eremo- 
phila maculata)" The latter author, continuing his researches, published " Notes on 
the cyanogenetic glucoside of Eremophila maculata (Native Fuchsia)," (Proc. Ron. Soc Q 
XXV, 13(1914)). 
