Easter 18891
Allow me to ask you, dear Mr Dyer, whether in Britain the Hypochoeris radicata2 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.3 The recovery is slow, and some fall victims to the disease. Here this disease is attributed to the extensive feeding on Hypochoeris radicata, 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.4
Hypochoeris maculata
Hypochoeris radicata
Please cite as “FVM-89-04-21,” in Correspondence of Ferdinand von Mueller, edited by R.W. Home, Thomas A. Darragh, A.M. Lucas, Sara Maroske, D.M. Sinkora†, J.H. Voigt† and Monika Wells accessed on 25 April 2024, https://epsilon.ac.uk/view/vonmueller/letters/89-04-21