730 
ALSIKE CLOVER. 
ground again. There was an ichorous discharge issuing 
from the skin of the heel, and I may as well here state, that 
in tlie course of a few days, it presented all the characters of 
a case of most inveterate grease, which for a long time resisted 
all treatment, and was a source of great trouble before it was 
overcome; but it did at length yield, and the animal bee me 
quite well. 
While attending to this patient, the horse-keeper reported 
that a five years’ old, dark-coloured bay mare was attacked 
in the same way, and, on inspection, I found the same symp¬ 
toms presenting themselves. The swelling of the lips and 
nose was, however, much greater than in the case of the 
horse, but the limbs were in no way affected. The groom also 
reported that two or three of the other horses, then at plough, 
did not feed well that morning ; I therefore examined them, 
and found they had all more or less desquamation of the lining 
membrane of the mouth, and some little excoriation of the 
cuticle of the lips. I now, of course, inquired what food they 
were allowed, and was informed they were being turned 
out in a clover ley; and on proceeding to inspect it, I was of 
opinion that it was Alsike clover; and on asking the owner 
if I were right in my conjecture, he said I was, and that 
it was the first time he had grown it. I now remembered 
having read, a few years previously, a report in the Veteri¬ 
nary Record, of some similar cases that occurred in the 
practice of Mr. E. Taylor, V.S., Bury St. Edmunds, and 1 
came to the conclusion that my patients, like his, were suffer¬ 
ing from having fed upon this hybrid grass; consequently, I 
directed that they should not be again allowed to partake of 
it; and my request being complied with, no more cases 
occurred; although there were some three or four other 
horses that had not as then shown any symptoms of being 
affected by it. 
I may mention that sheep, cattle, and pigs were also feed¬ 
ing in the same field, none of which, however, appeared to 
suffer from it. I regret that I can throw no light upon the 
portion of the grass in which the deleterious properties reside, 
nor whether they are developed at any particular period of 
its growth; but at the time I examined the field, I found 
that the flowers of the plants in question were just beginning 
to show signs of forming seed. A period, botanists tell us, 
when the active principles of a plant are concentrated in it. 
In conclusion, I will add to this somewhat lengthy article, 
that my impression is that both my patients and Mr. 
Wheeler’s, as described by him in the October number of 
this Journal, were certainly affected by eating of this grass; 
