535 
IS ALSIKE CLOVER POISONOUS OR INJURIOUS 
TO HORSES? 
By F. Earl, M.R.C.V.S., Shifnal. 
Will you allow me to call the attention of the profession 
to a clover which is rapidly increasing in favour in this 
country, from the fact that it stands the winter better than 
other clovers. I allude to Alsike, which is regarded as inter¬ 
mediate in appearance between the common red clover and 
the white clover, and was, I believe, introduced into this 
country from the south of Sweden about thirty-five years ago. 
The question I wish to ask is this, “ Is Alsike clover in its 
green state poisonous or injurious to horses or not ?” 
Without making a positive assertion, I am strongly 
inclined by recent observations to think that it is injurious. 
On May loth I was called to see a hay cart-horse that had 
been lying out in some clover with other horses; the animal 
had appeared pretty well the previous day, hut when the man 
went to fetch them up in the morning, he was so ill that the 
man had great difficulty in getting him home. 
Symptoms .—The eyelids were tremendously swollen, the 
mucous membrane very much injected, and thick purulent 
matter flowed freely from the eye; the nostrils were all 
but closed by surrounding swelling ; the front of the face from 
the muzzle up to the eyes had the appearance of having 
had a strong blister rubbed on it, and from the vesicles issued 
a thin yellow fluid resembling serum ; the submaxillary glands 
were much enlarged, the legs swollen, and the horse had a 
stiff awkward gait, as though partially paralysed; the pulse 
was quick, weak and faltering, the mouth hot and feverish. 
I had the animal put into a loose box, and gave Nit. Hither. 
3ij, Liq. Ammon. Acet. 3iv, twice a day. The horse woul^ eat 
nothing, but the thirst was very great. I ordered a po W( | er 
consisting of Nit. of Potash 3j> Pot. Bicarb, ^ij? to be giv en * n 
a little cold water three times a day; this the horse f ree ] v 
drank; I also had the head well steamed and the legs p an _ 
daged ; I followed up this treatment when the fever ha^ g 
sided by giving vegetable tonics combined with a q 
good old ale. On the 15th another horse was s ua r <- 0 f 
attacked, and on the next day three more. These imi] ar ] v 
treated in the same manner. The skin peeled comp w ere a ]j 
the face of the first horse that was attacked, but nole^y 0 ff 
the others; in little more than a week they had all t so with 
and were pronounced fit for work. For the last th recovered 
ree n ights 
