SOURCE OF GERMANY'S CASES

Mount Ida Chronicle, Volume XLV, Issue XLV, 9 November 1917, Page 1

SOURCE OF GERMANY'S CASES

A pamphlet on the field work conducted by and for the Smithsonian Institution (U.S.) states that, while carrying on botanical explorations at Venezuela in the fall of 1916 Dtf 3l ST. Rose, assistant curator of plants in the, National Museum at Washington, secured some interesting specimens of sabadella, a Venezuelan plant of the lily family, from the seeds of which are prodnced some of the asphyxiating and tear-producing gasses used by the tiermans in the present war. The specimt;ts were seemed by Dr Rose tJirougfa the . ■- operation of Consul Brett, at fa Gui.s.t. who stated in a report to the Departr-.ein of Commerce that this plant is knov > locally as cevidilla, 'a diminutive oi. tb:

_ , j Spanish word cedaba, meaning barlev, and ' occurs in Venezuela and Mexico." ' Its highly poisonous seeds have long been used in medicine. The sustances produced from sabadella seeds are cavadine or crystallised veratric, au alkaloid : veratric acid, and sabadalline. a heart stimulant. The dust from the seed in the field irritated the eyes, throat, and especially the nose, so much that the native laborers were obliged to wear masks. It is known i hat the Germans bought all the available > apply of these seeds before the declaration of war hi 1914. Both the sabadelhr speeds and all preparations compounded f-orn them are now. however, declared contraband by Britain.