TUTU.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 117, 12 July 1873, Page 17

TUTU.

(From the " Taranaki News.") In compliance with the request of some of our country friends, who have recently lost cattle through tutu poison, we proceed to lay before our readers all the information we can obtain concerning the nature of this noxious plant, and the antidotes and treatment to be administered to cattle suffering from its virulence :

Botanically the tutu family is an anomaly, having no direct connection with any other order of plants. There is but one genera, and eight species, one of which is found in Southern Europe, and the others in Nepaul, Chili, Peru, New Granada, and New Zealand. All the species are poisonous. The root of the European kind is extensively used for tanning in Russia. Either from this circumstance, or from the fruit having a crustaceous covering, the plant received its scientific name of Coriaria, a term derived from Corium, a hide. The fruit is not a true berry, but consists of the persistent and thickened petals of the flowers, which on expression yields a copious red juice, which is sometimes used by the Maoris to color and flavor a jelly which they extract from a fucus resembling the Carrageen moss of Ireland. In New Granada the juice of Coriaria thymifolia, which the inhabitants call chanchi, is used as a writing ink without any preparation. The qualities of the plant were discovered under the Spanish administration. Some writings intended for the mother country were wet through with sea water on the voyage ; \vliile the papers written with common ink were almost illegible, those with the juice of the tutu were quite unscathed. Orders were given in consequence that this vegetable ink was to be used for all public documents. Concerning the poisonous character of this family there can be no mistake. When the French army was in Spain in the days of the First Napoleon, many of the soldiers were poisoned by eating Coriaria myrtifolia. The leaves of this plant have sometimes been used to adulterate senna, and fatal effects have resulted. A fatal case of tutu poisoning occurred in our Provincial Hospital some years ago. In 1899, an elephant which was landed in Otago for exhibition, was poisoned with tutu. The owner drove it some miles inland to what he thought to be rich pasture. Unfortunately, among the grass there was a fine crop of youug succulent tutu. The poor animal fed heartily upon this for four hours, then went to a stream and took a long drink, turned, reeled, fell, and died in three hours. Sheep and cattle are the chief victims of this poisonous plant. Horses will not touch it, and rabbits are not at all affected by it.

In order to discover the exact nature of the poisonous principle of the tutu, many experiments have been made, and

so far as our information extends, none of them have been attended with satis factory results. Mr Skey, Government analyst, supposes the poisonous effects due to the presence of a new nitrogenous oil, n«t yet isolated or examined. Mr Hughes, a chemist at Hokitika, believes this oil to be a liquid alkaloid. The symptoms of tutu poisoning are vertigo and epilepsy. Fifteen grains of watery extract given to a cat produced in twenty minutes very frequent respiration and twitching of the extremities, and in five minutes more a severe attack of convulsions, which lasted about three minutes. An interruption of ten minutes was followed by a severe paroxysm, which lasted about four minutes ; again an intermission of ten minutes was followed by a severe paroxysm of pure tetanic spasm, in which she expired. In this case the slightest noise would invariably excite a recurrence, of >the paroxysm. One-twelfth of a grain of thich solution administered to a human subject produced in five minutes a more disagreeably irritating sensation in the thioat, extending to the stomach, with pain across the region of the stomach, accompanied by nausea. In a quarter of an hour vomiting came on, which continued more or less for two hours. Verp unpleasant sensations continued for two more hours, when after great flushing of the face, with all but intolerable heat, the effects passed away. We now proceed to consider what is likely to prove an antidote to this poison, Mr Skey in accordance with his theory of its nature recommends, in addition to purgatives and emetics, the exhibition of very dilute acids, which by preventing the saponification of the oil would render it insoluble, and, therefore, inert. Dr Acheson, of Hokitika, pronounces lime water to be an antidote. He poisoned dogs with extract of tutu, and administered lime, and in every case the animal recovered rapidly. The draught or drench was composed simply of slacked lime made into a thin cream with water, such as plasterers would call " lime wash."

A professional friend who has successfully dealt with many animab poisoned with tutu, recommends the following treatment in extreme cases : —Put a cord round the animal's neck, and tighten it till the vein begins to swell. Drive the phleme into the vein. Slacken the cord and retreat, for the animal will certainly charge. It will give immediate relief.

Our professional readers will find an elaborate article on this subject from the pen of Dr L. Lindsay in the "British and Foreign Medico Chirurgical Preview" for July 1865.