List of gastro-intestinal irritants. Common Symptoms. General
treatment: emesis, stomach pump, diluents, demulcents, laxatives,
enemata, anodynes, antiseptics, tannic acid. Prevention.
Among vegetables which produce more or less disturbance of the
digestion, or congestion of the digestive organs Cadeac names the
following: =Acorns= in horses (Morton); =tares=; =bird’s trefoil= (lotus
corniculatus, Colin); =vetches= at ripening (Gerlach); =laburnum=
(cytissus) horse and ox (Cornevin); =hybrid= and =sweet trefoil= (Pilz);
=officinal melilot= (Carrey); the =field poppy=, =digitalis= and
=snapdragon= often mixed with wheat and rye (Cornevin); =conium
maculatum=, =cicuta virosa=, =yew leaves=, =lolium temulentum=, and
other forms of =ryegrass when ripening=; =chickweed= (stellaria) killed
60 horses in 200 (Semmer); =clematis=, =aconite=, =tobacco=, =male
fern=, =aloes=, =horsetail= (equisetum) when full of silica;
=mercurialis annua=, =wild radish=, =resinous plants=, =potato tops=,
=potatoes in excess, or green= from exposure to the sun; =Œnanthe
Crocata= (water dropwort); =giant fennel=, =anemone=, =phytolacca= (poke
root); =buckwheat= in flower (Moisant); =St. John’s wort=, various
species of =lathyrus=, =rhododendron=, =artichokes= in excess, =spurry
seeds=, =galega=, =bryony=, the fruit of =melia azedarach= (in pigs)
(Dreux); =nux vomica=, =podophyllum=.
It may be added that the plants credited with causing the “loco” disease
(=Astragalus mollissimus=, =Hornii=, and =lentiginosus=, the =oxytropis
Lambertii=, =mutifloris= and =deflexa=) cause diarrhœa and sometimes
ulceration of the intestines.
The farina of =mustard= is sometimes mixed with linseed cake and
(developing the active principles of that agent) produces a severe or
even fatal gastro-enteritis in cattle and sheep. The wild mustard of the
fields, being allowed to grow with the flax, or rape, the seeds mingle
when harvested and thus the cake comes to contain an injurious quantity
of the mustard.
_Symptoms._ These will vary much according to the predominating action
of the individual poison on other organs, but when they irritate the
gastro-intestinal mucosa they have this in common, that they impair
appetite and rumination, produce colicy pains (perhaps salivation and
vomiting), and constipation or diarrhœa of varying intensity.
_Treatment._ Apart from the individual treatment demanded by the special
symptoms of disorder of other organs, it may follow the same general
line for all: Unload the stomach by tepid water, ipecacuan, with
tickling of the soft palate, or by the stomach pump or tube, and follow
this by abundance of mucilaginous drinks. In cases attended by
constipation a laxative of Glauber salts, or aloes may be demanded, or
assiduous mucilaginous injections. With an excess of irritation anodynes
may be indicated. When there is tympany and fœtor of the discharges
these must be met by non-irritant antiseptics, such as naphthalin or
salol. For many of the vegetable poisons tannic acid proves
advantageous, being at once an antiferment, and fitted to unite with
organic alkaloids, rendering them less soluble and otherwise often
changing their properties.
_Prevention_ should be sought by removing all such poisonous plants from
pastures, or land used for raising fodder crops.