The Caper Spurge (E. Lathyris L.) contains an acrid, emetic, and highly purgative milky juice, and the fruits have commonly been employed by country folk as a purge, and also as a pickle, though they are dangerous and should not be so used. Pratt records a case in which five women ate the pickled fruits with boiled mutton, and all suffered severe pain and burning in the stomach, and showed other symptoms attendant on irritant poisoning—and though all recovered the illness was severe. Used in this manner, indeed, they have given rise to serious cases of human poisoning. Only very young animals are said to eat it, but cattle in the United States are said to be “quite resistant to its influence, but they are sometimes overcome.” According to Chesnut goats eat this plant extensively, and it is said that their milk then possesses all the venomous properties.
Petty Spurge (E. Peplus L.) is somewhat similar to the Caper Spurge in poisonous properties, and fatal poisoning has occurred through a boy eating it.
Sun Spurge (E. Helioscopia L.) is similarly poisonous to the preceding species. It has caused fatal poisoning to a boy who ate it. In Germany cows were poisoned through pasturing in stubble in which the plant was growing, but there were no deaths.
Toxic Principles. The milky juice of these spurges contains highly acrid poisonous substances, which have not been individually and fully investigated. Drying may reduce the toxicity but does not eliminate it.
Symptoms. As regards E. Lathyris Chesnut says that on the skin the juice causes redness, itching, pimples, and sometimes gangrene. The seeds when eaten inflame the mouth and stomach, cause vomiting and intense diarrhœa, and if the illness is serious, nervous disorders, unconsciousness, collapse, and death.
The Euphorbias have an acrid effect on the mouth, and severe poisoning may follow their use as aperients—burning mouth, swelling tongue, stomach pains, cold skin, vertigo, fainting or syncope, and even death in two or three days (Esser).
Similar symptoms are given by Cornevin, who states that the Euphorbias have an irritating effect on the mucous membrane, especially at the back of the mouth. In from three quarters of an hour to two hours after eating the plant, or even longer, there is painful vomiting, followed by diarrhœic evacuations, with a lowering of the temperature. If the quantity ingested has been sufficient there appear also nervous symptoms, vertigo, delirium, muscular tremors, and respiratory and circulatory troubles which disappear after abundant sweating if the poisoning is not fatal. If it is fatal the symptoms of superpurgation and enteritis predominate, but are accompanied by nervous symptoms and circulatory disorders.
Müller gives in addition loss of appetite, piteous whining (in goats), groaning, colic and tympanites; and Pott, bloating, fever, palpitation of the heart, and loss of consciousness. Cows gave a reddish or sharp-tasting milk. Milk of affected goats caused diarrhœa human beings.
REFERENCES.
[19], [52], [53], [73], [81], [82], [130], [141], [190], [213], [216].