It is quite possible that forage of the "acacia vermiiflua"2 is unwholesome, and perhaps even deleterious, but real poison caused from this plant never came before me yet. The best plan for solving the question would be to yard up a sheep or calf and feed it for some days on the foliage of this acacia, as only then the effects will be clearly demonstrated, and if fatally pernicious the symptoms could be watched, and a post mortem made. [The Baron adds]3 I will be quite willing to aid in the elucidation of the causes of mortality among the herds there as far as I can.
Acacia vermiiflua
Letter not found. The text given here is from 'The recent cattle mortality', Daily telegraph (Launceston, Tas.), 17 September 1892, p. 3 (B92.09.04). The extract is introduced by 'The mortality among cattle in the Scottsdale, Gould's Country, Frankford and other districts having been generally attributed to poisonous effects from the stinkweed scrub, the secretary of the Council of Agriculture, desirous of ascertaining whether this was the cause of the deaths, obtained specimens of the growth, and forwarded them to Baron Von Müeller, of Victoria; Dr. Cobb, of New South Wales; and D. M'AIpine, of Victoria.
Baron Von Müeller has replied as follows on the specimen obtained from Mr A. Johnson, of Gould's Country:—'
Printer's error for Acacia verniciflua?
Newspaper's insertion; some text may have been omitted in the published version.
Please cite as “FVM-92-09-00c,” 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