iv 
Notes  and  News. 
( Am.  Jour.  Pharm 
I    October,  1898. 
in  which  the  bulb  was  cut  into  small  pieces  and  fed,  along  with  carrots  cut  in 
the  same  way,  to  a  two-year-old  heifer  at  8  o'clock  a.m.,  death  resulted  one 
and  a  half  hours  later.  Upon  post-mortem  examination,  pieces  of  the  root 
were  found  in  the  rumen  and  in  the  second  stomach.  The  lungs  were  highlv 
congested,  but  otherwise  nothing  abnormal  was  noted.  On  the  following  day 
an  experiment  with  a  calf  was  made  at  9.15  a.m.,  and  an  attempt  made  to 
counteract  the  effects  of  the  poison  by  giving  an  ounce  of  turpentine  in  a  quart 
of  milk.  The  calf  recovered  its  feet  and  tried  to  walk.  Soon  there  were  indi- 
cations of  spasms,  and  the  dose  of  turpentine  and  milk  w7as  repeated,  when  the 
calf  stood  up  until  11.30  a.m.,  then  it  went  down  as  before.  Aconite  and  milk 
were  then  given,  and  also  a  hypodermic  injection  of  nitroglycerine,  but  the 
animal  died  at  11.45  a.m.  From  the  beginning  of  the  experiment  there  was  a 
decided  iise  in  temperature,  the  highest  being  io6}4°  F. 
Similar  experiments  were  made  later  in  the  season  (May),  and  it  was  learned 
that  much  larger  amounts  of  the  bulbs  could  then  be  consumed  without  serious 
effects.  Hence  the  author  concludes  that  cattle  are  likely  to  be  poisoned  only 
from  the  first  of  January  to  the  middle  of  May.  The  simple  remedies,  such  as 
old  bacon  grease,  flour  and  milk,  recommended  by  stockmen  in  milder  cases, 
the  author  thinks  may  be  of  some  value,  but  that  they  will  be  unavailing  with 
an  animal  that  has  swallowed  even  a  very  small  quantity  of  the  bulb  when  the 
poison  is  virulent.  The  best  remedies  are  eradicating  the  plant  from  pastures 
or  keeping  cattle  from  lands  where  it  grows. — Expt.  Sta.  Rec,  1898,  p.  892. 
Poison  Ivy — Rhus  Toxicodendron. — In  the  spring  is  the  time  for  people 
to  be  poisoned  by  this  plant ;  any  one  may  handle  it  with  impunity  at  any 
other  time.  Just  when  the  new  growth  is  beginning  and  the  sap  is  running 
riot  through  its  system,  buds  bursting,  with  free  growth  all  along  the  line,  it  is 
at  this  time  that  the  effluvia  of  the  past  year  is  pouring  out  into  the  atmosphere 
from  its  every  pore  through  branch  and  leaf.  One  may  see  a  silver}"  sheen  on 
its  leaves  in  the  bright  sunshine.  Touch  it  not  at  this  time.  It  does  not  poison 
all.  I  am  not  subject  to  it  at  any  time.  I  would  not  dare  to  pull  the  leaves, 
bruise  them  and  smear  them  on  my  face,  in  bravado  as  I  have  seen  children  do 
in  years  gone  by,  for  I  feel  certain  that  it  would  poison  me  ;  but  otherwise  I 
handle  it,  work  amongst  it  at  all  seasons  of  the  year  and  receive  no  harm. 
There  are  immense  quantities  of  the  vine  in  this  country.  Nearly  every  tree  in 
the  woods  has  a  plant  or  two  clinging  to  it  and  the  fences  are  loaded  with  it. 
I  have  met  with  men  who  have  declared  to  me,  that  the  Boston  Ivy  and  Vir- 
ginia Creeper,  Ampelopsis  quinquefolia,  would  poison  them  just  as  easily  and 
as  quickly  as  the  R.  Toxicodendron  and  that  they  dare  not  go  near  either  of 
them  in  the  spring.  But  I  have  always  looked  upon  this  last  experience  as  a 
case  of  mistaken  identity.  The  two  vines  generally  grow  together,  are  seen 
clinging  to  the  same  trees  and  the  two  plants  are  much  alike  when  denuded  of 
their  foliage.  As  a  cure  for  the  poison,  Nightshade — Solatium  nigrum — is  used  ; 
its  leaves  bruised,  mixed  with  cream  as  an  emollient  ;  also  Healall,  Brunella 
vulgaris.  Both  are  used  in  outward  applications.  These  are  the  old-time 
remedies.  Doctors  must  have  better  methods  now.  The  Nightshade  is  poi- 
sonous (said  to  be  )  and  used  as  a  poison  to  correct  another  poison. 
In  this  part  of  the  world  the  chief  complaint  of  rhus  poisoning  comes  from 
colored  leaf  gathering  in  the  fall. — F.  K.  STEELE,  in  Meehans*  Monthly. 
