Ferdinand von Mueller

1

Letter not found. The text given here is from 'A dangerous poisonous plant', Geelong advertiser, 3 September 1874, p. 3 (B74.09.05). It is introduced by

The Shire Council of Corio at a meeting held in August had their attention drawn to the fact that several head of cattle had died on the common from the effects of what was believed to be a poisonous plant. The Council resolved that a specimen of the plant should be sent to Dr. Mueller, Government Botanist, with the view of ascertaining the name and nature of the plant in question. Dr. Mueller's reply, which was sent immediately on receipt of the letter, was read at the meeting of the Council yesterday, and as other districts may have the plant growing now or at some future time, we subjoin his remarks for general information. The members of the Council were much pleased at Dr Mueller's promptitude in replying.

Melbourne, 12th August, 1874.

The Secretary of the Shire of Corio. Sir,—

In reply to your communication just received, I have the honour to inform you that the herb transmitted to me as having caused in all probability the death of cattle on the You Yangs Common belongs to a genus of plants long since ascertained to possess an acrid poisonous sap. The scientific name of the particular species now before me is

Drosera pellata

Search for Drosera pellata in

• This website
• Australian Plant Name Index

,

2

Printers' error for peltata?

and all the plants of this genus, of which we have nine within the boundaries of this colony, pass under the vernacular name 'sundew herbs.'

3

See also M to E. Curr, 9 August 1874 (in this edition as 74-08-09a).

The action of these plants is inflammatory in the mucus membranes of the digestive organs, and even corrosively so if the plant has been consumed in large quantity, and in all likelihood the absorption of the poison into the circulation would also change the normal condition of the blood. Veterinary surgeons would be best able to advise how animals suffering from the drosera poison should be treated, if, indeed, symptoms of poisoning become sufficiently early apparent to admit of the adhibition

4

Early 16th century (in the sense 'take in, include'): from the Latin verb adhibere (‘hold to’).

of medicinal or other remedies. The only permanent measures to cope with such an evil are:—1st. Not to overstock the common at any time. 2nd. To cause such patches of land to be ploughed on which these noxious herbs exist, and to get the ground thus broken up, well sown with perennial grasses, clover, lucerne, sanfoin, and any other nutritive pasture plants by which means the copious re appearance of the drosera would be rendered almost impossible. The quickness of the growth of such pasture plants should be aided by a copious application of any kind of manure rich in lime, potash and phosphorus acids. That the annimals

5

Printers error for animals?

should suffer from these poison weeds just at this season, and especially such animals as lately have been brought there, will be easily understood, because the grass is likely scant at all times on the common, while in the spring months the droseras push vigorously forth, thus in the scarcety of other feed cattle will greedily browse on the droseras, and indeed any other kind of weed which the season may offer, and animals recently brought to the common may gorge themselves with such plants to a destructive extent, whereas a small admixture of the droseras or other noxious herbs to the feed consumed by the cattle would not prove dangerously hurtful. The herdsman, allow me to suggest, might keep off the animals from the worst spots of drosera growth until the plant is removed. It shrivels up in the summer heat, but will re-appear next spring from its small tuberous root unless the means suggested above are adopted.

My laboratory, with apparatus and instruments, having been taken from me in November last, and indeed half having been taken down, I cannot now follow up texicologie

7

Printers error for toxicologic?

questions as in former years by a series of experiments.

8

In its extracts of the letter, the Ballarat star, 4 September, p. 4 (B74.09.06), before printing the post-script, wrote 'at the close of the letter, there is the following plaintive note.'