PLANT POISON BLAMED

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXV, Issue 23060, 10 June 1938, Page 5

PLANT POISON BLAMED

AFRICAN ECZEMA RESEARCH ERGOT RULED OUT BY H.H.T. In a lecture on "facial eczema" delivered to assembled sheepfarmers at Massey Agricultural College on June 3, Mr. W. M. Webster, M.R.C.V.S., of the college staff, asserted that South African research workers, Messrs. Steyn and llimmington, had discovered a toxic substance in the quickly-grown herbage of some native fodder plants, botanically known as Trihulus and Lippia verbena, which produced exactly the same symptoms as those with which wo are familiar in facial eczema m sheep. 'j'he toxic principle, which they had isolated, they had called "ictorogen because it was capable of producing jaundice when injected into the bloodstream or ingested by the sheep. It was noticeable, he said, that this poison was only present in these norma 11 v healthv fodder plants when they had been severely pruned back, either bv the grazing animal or by artificial means, and then made rapid autumn growth following rain and warm soil conditions. . . n , Mr. Webster gave it as his confident opinion that the same poison, but in rapidly-growing grasses and was the 0110 responsible for facial eczema, or at least its more serious features in the- disorganisation of the internal organs, in New Zealand. Iho lecturer said that so far no effective antidote had been discovered by these research workers. ... Mr. Bruce Levy, Director of the Grasslands Division of the Department of Agriculture, who also spoke on this subject in conjunction with Mr. \Yebster, asserted that present investigations in the Waikato had entirely eliminated the possibility that ergot was responsible for the disease. "This conclusion was supported by many veterinary authorities, who describe only two forms'of ergot poisoning. In the first, spasmodic symptoms due to stimulation of the nervous system are seen; and in the second, gangrene occurs. In the gangrenous form, most common in cattle and horses, there is coldness of the Feet, ears, lips, tail and other extremities. There is a loss of sensation in these parts and eventually dry gnngrene sets in with sloughing off of the affected parts. In sheep the symptoms of ergot poisoning are convulsive, frequently causing abortion, diarrhoea, colic and apparent abdominal pain. These are not the symptoms accompanying eczema in sheep though they may bo seen in some flocks in autumn when the pastures are heavily ergotised. The ergotaffected sheep practically always recover after abortion has taken place. While ergot is a definite menace to our breeding flocks, to the extent that sheep may lose their lambs, and cattle may die or be permanently crippled, it appears highly improbable that" it is an important factor in the disease known as facial eczema.