The correspondence of Ferdinand von Mueller: Easter 1889 ¶ ¶ Allow me to ask you, dear Mr Dyer, whether in Britain the Hypochoeris radicata ¶ ever proved hurtful to horses. Here a peculiar disease has arisen among horses (but not among cattle ...

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Physical location:

RBG Kew, Miscellaneous reports 7.7, Victoria, Miscellaneous 1861-1916 (MR/412), f. 125. 89.04.21

Plant names

Hypochoeris maculata
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Hypochoeris radicata
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Preferred Citation:

Ferdinand von Mueller to William Thiselton-Dyer, 1889-04-21. 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/1880-9/1889/89-04-21-final.odt>, accessed June 5, 2026

Easter 1889

Annotated by Thiselton-Dyer : ansd 5.6.89 (letter not found ). In 1889, Easter Day fell on 21 April.

Allow me to ask you, dear Mr Dyer, whether in Britain the

underlined in red .

ever proved hurtful to horses. Here a peculiar disease has arisen among horses (but not among cattle and sheep), which affects spasmodically and to some extent also paralytically the lower extremities of these animals.

See M to D. Martin, 22 April 1889 (in this edition as 89-04-22a), and M to C. Macan, April 1889 (in this edition as 89-04-00c).

The recovery is slow, and some fall victims to the disease. Here this disease is attributed to the extensive feeding on , which herb will live through the dry season fairly green, and will [v]as[t]ly suppress less powerful pasture-plants. In colder countries, like yours, the meadows get rest during winter, and thus in spring a variety of herbs and grasses push forward alike vigorously for the pasture-animals; but here they have for many months on some places to rely on whatever may be the most powerful herb or grass exstant and are forced to live on it; whether they like it or not, pastures and particularly commons being often quite overstocked. You will be aware, that the medieval physicians used H. radicata and H. maculata medicinally, and the milk sap of these plants certainly contains a bitter principle, which however I cannot find even in any of the newest works chemically defined. In all cases, when the Hypochoeris — as hurtful to horses — came under my notice, it was free from fungus-growth.

Regardfully your

Ferd. von Mueller.

I always advise in such cases the ploughing up of the Hypochoeris-ground, and the subsequent sowing of the best and most powerful grasses and pasture-herbs, extra-australian kinds especially, to keep the Hypochoeris within bounds.

Annotated in red by Thiselton-Dyer on the back of f. 126: Prof O. Is anything known of the poisonous qualities of this plant W.T.T.D 1.6.89; and in pencil by Oliver : Have tried three of [our] authorities — but they say nothing bearing on this [question] D. O.