A Poisonous Shrub.

Manawatu Standard, Volume IX, Issue 108, 11 April 1885, Page 2

A Poisonous Shrub.

A gentleman travelling through a bush road m this district the other day, writes the Marton paper, pulled a leaf from a tree and chewed it. A few minutes afterwards he experienced feelings of sickness, then he became bathed m a profuse perspiration, which was succeeded by shiverings. Next his eyesight became dim, and every thine: around him appeared to be covered with a white mist. His strength seemed entirely gone, and he just succeeded m dismounting from his horse, got the bridle on his arm, and lay down on the side of the road, soon bemust coming unconscious again. He must have lain there fully half-an-hour, when a tug at the bridle by his horse grazing at his side brought him to consciouness again. He eot up walked a mile or so, and was then able to mount and proceed on his journey. Fortunately he did not swallow the juice of the leaf, which appeared of a glutinous nature, or he believes he would have died on' the road. Returning on his journey, the gentleman pulled two or three leaves from the same tree and afterwards showed them to a friend, without telling him what had occurred, The friend at once pronounced them to be the leaves of a poison-berry tree, and remarked on their highly dangerous nature.