From Ferdinand von Mueller to John Kerr   29 Mar 1873

Melbourne bot. Garden

29/3/73

The Chief Inspector of Stock

Sir

In reply to your communication just received¹ I have the honor to inform you, that the herb, which produced poisonous effect on the cattle of Broadmeadows² is the Solanum nigrum, called in Britain the annual Nightshade.³ It is a cosmopolitan plant, since ancient times known as poisonous and mentioned under the name of Strychnos along with Atropa Belladonna in the writings of Dioskorides already, it belonging indeed with the Belladonna and Mandragora, Stramonium to the same order of plants (Solaneae).⁴ The most active principle of Solanum nigrum is a Glucosid, Solanin, and this is most strongly developed in the unripe berries. The plant however acts not with the dreadful intensity of the deadly Nightshade (Atropa Belladonna); but it is far more commonly dispersed, and disseiminates itself with celerity, particularly on roadsides, waste places, in gardens &c. It being however an annual, it can be readily enough destroyed by weeding prior to its ripening its berries. The Solanin produces paralysis of the extremities prior to death, when consumed in quantity.⁵

I have the honor to be your obedient

Ferd. von Mueller,

Direct. botan. Garden.

Atropa Belladonna

Mandragora

Solaneae

Solanum nigrum

Stramonium

Strychnos