Document information

Physical location:

74.00.00b

Plant names

Preferred Citation:

Ferdinand von Mueller to William Bacchus, 1874 [74.00.00b]. R.W. Home, Thomas A. Darragh, A.M. Lucas, Sara Maroske, D.M. Sinkora, J.H. Voigt and Monika Wells (eds), Correspondence of Ferdinand von Mueller, <https://vmcp.rbg.vic.gov.au/id//letters/1870-9/1874/74-00-00b-final.odt>, accessed June 16, 2026

1
Letter not found. The text given here is from 'Fluke in sheep', a report of a lecture given by William Bacchus to the Ballarat Farmers' Club on 6 June 1874, Leader, 13 June 1874, p. 8.
During his lecture Bacchus commented that 'In some parts of England great faith is placed in the curative properties of menyanthes trifoliata' and went on to say 'I have an idea that this plant is indigenous to some parts of Australia. I have received the following notice from the Government Botanist, to whom I wrote for information about its qualities:—'.
The menyanthus trifoliata, about which you will see some notes in my essay, published by the Acclimatisation Society two years ago,
2
B72.13.02, p. 324.
would act internally as an anthelmintic. I introduced this beautiful bog-plant several years ago, and left a strong specimen of it at the Botanical Garden, where it flowers.