Rutland herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1823-1847, 1841-07-13
From the Farmers Cabinet
SLABBERlNG IN HORSES.


Sir-In the No. of the Cabinet for April, cores
ponden attributes the sabbers in horses the plan,
called the Spurge, (Ephro6ia maculata) which is gem
orally found in second crop clover, and the clo-
yer itself. Now, at that time, prepared to
believe that this account correct, for had never
noticed that plant niest particularly the SECOND crop
of clover aud not the first BESIDES had always been
taught to believe tina, the clover itself which
the deleterous substance and never before having
heard that the thing had been doubted confess that
your correspondents new notion had but little weight
with me.
find, however, that the idea is by no means new
for in the Cd volume of the Memoirs of the Phladel
pha Society for Promoting Agriculture, page $50,
there is valuable paper this subject, written by
Mr. A. Parlee, dated Wilmington, Del 1870 in which
is made evident by experiment. that this plant is at
least one of the of that singular disease and
goes far to exonerate clover, in any stage, from the
charge of any poisonous quality whatever Permit me
to copy it for your pages.
g communicate to you the result of some observa
tons and experiments which have made on the spot
ted Spurge Euphroba maculaa) relative to its being
the cause OF the salvation that occurs so frequently
among horses while feeding the second crop of clover
The occurrence of profuse discharge of saliva from
horses, and its rapid production of great debility and
emacation had not only excited the surprise of many
OF the farmers, but had also given rise to various con-
lectures as to the cause of it opinions founded
on no substantial data, but often originated from the
most vague surmses. BY many it was imputed sole
~ TO peculiar quality inherent in the second crop of
clover as 1t generally first appeared when the animals
were put to pasture it and tho disease being al
most exclusively confined to that description of pas
turage, this considered conoborating evidence Of
the correctness of the hypothesis; but its having
occurred tor many years after clover had been extern
slvey cultivated and never having occurred in many
places where horses are pastuIed altogether on clover
sufficiently proved that opinion to be erroneous It
was then attributed to the effects Of plaster-bu from
the occurrence of many farms where plaster had
never been used, as well as its not having occurred
where 1t had been used very copously, this opinion
was proved to be equally incorrect with the former
For the purpose of asceuaning the fact by exper.
lmen', procured a small quantity of the Euphorba
macuia, and gave it 10 horse, envelopeJ in small
quahuy OF clover, carefully gathered stem by stem
and perfectly free from all other vegetables or extran
eous matter whatever:-a preternaural discharge of
saliva took place in half an hour The experiment
was frequently repeated, and invariably with the same
result Again, to prove that clover did not contribute
towards IT, IN some cases other grasses were used as
an envelope with tho same effect and when the horse
was perfectly free from slabbering, a considerable
quantity OF clover. carefully gathered without the Eu
phoroia was given to him, and such effect was pro-
uuoeu' ihese experiments considered sufficien, TO
prove that the Euphorbia macuata would produce sal
""ioh, and am induced to think is the general il
not the only cause oft This plant deghtinp in the
well-cuvated clover ground sends off MANY sIe,dor
spreading branches about the height of the second
CROP ana IS then very liable be taken in with the
clover by the aTger-mouthed animals; but whether
'hls species oil Euphorbia has fourished for long
"He IN this part OF the country, has but lately mi
grated INTO H. have not ascertaned but in either
case Its having but recently iniruded itself into the
pasture fields be easily accounted for il coroee
forward, flowers and ripens its seed about the same
lime with the second crop of clover; and a, clover
seed IS generally gathered from the second crop !,
must be very liable to have some Of the seed Of En-
PnotOa gathefed with It, and may ia this way be <
iensyely diffused over the country The sIabbe,ioo
was observed in the neghborhood Of Wostcbester he
lore It was seen IN this neighborhood and az the o
mers here have generally obtained their seed
from thence It seems highly probable that it has been
introduced IN that manner
All The plants Of the genus Euphorbia contain =,
extremely acrd Juice; many Of them stand at the head
OF 'le catalogue OF vegetable posons some Of Them
"heh rubbed on the skin will produce excoristion
ana mo east acrd OF them when taken into the rop,
ACT a. powerful masicaores but the rnacuari, NOS
se'se' us greatest aeflmony when in nosger or little
oeioie and at that time tho salvation has been observ
90 70 be most prevalent Most plant. when thorough.
ai'ed m the sun, lose much Of their virtue and bs
- also HE case with the Euphorba and for this ,e
son nay when Containing H. il thoroughly dried IN the
sun viii not be near 50 productive Of Salvation a.
""eh IL has been dried IN tie shade and this c,cp,o
ssn'e Ahoua be attended to when gathering hay con.
l.-'g ~ from The foregoing observations, there.
~ ".''A extremely probable that the plant in
question - the general cause Of ssl,ys,,o, IN
There are other plants which act a, ,nas,ic,,,,as
''sie are very lev Of them that are liable 10 b.. 60.
~ We sfaminiEofous animals / am. howevs, co..
tam mai tho EoPhoreia naculaia will produce 4, and