TREATMENT OF TUTU'D CATTLE.

Tuapeka Times, Volume VII, Issue 433, 10 February 1875, Page 3

TREATMENT OF TUTU'D CATTLE.

The following letter on the above subject appeared in one of our Northern contemporaries :—: —

To the Editor : Sir. — I have lately read in the " Wanganui Herald " a letter copied from your paper relative to the J poisoning of cattle by their eating tupa- I kehe or tutu plant ; your correspondent asks for information concerning an antidote to the tutu plant. After fifteen years' residence in New Zealand, I can speak confidently as to the good effects of carbonate of ammonia in such cases. While residing at Spring Grove, in the Province of Nelson, it so happened that one of my cows- turned out on the back hillß, fed heartily on the young asparaguslike tops of the springing tutu plant ; when the poison began to operate, she first gave us warning by crashing over the rail-fences, and making for the brook which ran through one of the paddocks. My son, then a lad of eleven years of age, perceiving something wa» wrong with the cow headed her, and stockwhip in hand drove her into the stockyard and fastened her in, and as I was absent from home at the time, went to my next-door neighbour an old dairy keeper; and asked him to come and look at the cow, which he did and pronounced her tutn'd. Inquiring of my son whereabouts I kept my ammonia, he t was shown, and he proceeded to dissolve half-an-ounce of the carbonate in a wine bottleful of warm water, after which having bailed the cow up in the milkingpail, he threw her head up, and placing the neck of the bottle as far back in her mouth as he could, he gradually poured the whole contents, or as much as he could get the cow to swallow, down her throat ; then loosening her from the bail, he directed the boy to di-ive her round the stockyard, and keep her moving for two or three hours, which was done, she was kept in the stockyard all night, fed upon hay, but no water given her until next morning, when she appeared to be all right On subsequent occasions when we found any of the cattte suffering from the effects of the tutu plant we always administered as much solution of ammonia prepared as above, as under the circumstances could be forced down the beast's throat. We always kept half adozen bottles of the solution ready prepared and tightly corked and always found that when administered previous to the animal lying down, the ammonia acted as a perfect antidote. One only did I see die after lying down ; but from the ground being very much furrowed, and the animal in a very exhausted state, it was evident she had taken the tutu several hours previous to being discovered. The neighbour I speak of now dead (Mr Chas. Cox. formerly of Eighty-eight Valley in Nelson province), informed me he had been in the habit of using carbonate of ammonia in similar cases for upwards of twenty-five years, and with great success. How late it is safe to leave a cow that has eaten the tutu, previous to administering the antidote, I cannot say. Our rule was to administer directly and keep the cow from water. We never bled when ammonia was procurable. The remedy is cheap and simple, and I do not think stockowners will regret giving it a trial. Apologising for trespassing so much on your space, I am, &c, William Dakbrs, M.R.C.S. New Plymouth, Taranaki.

The German ertimates for 1875 include an item of £300 for the construction of & building at Athens to serve as a branch establishment of the German Archaeological Institute at Rome ; and another item of £8500 for excavations at Olympia.

A VIVANDIERE OF THE FRENCH COMmune. — A widow named Bedict was tried on Monday before the Third Military Tribunal for participation in the Paris insurrection of 1871 and in the murder of the hostages. The woman was formerly a laundress, but last year was arrested for keeping a clandestine manufactory of lucifer matches and for using forged stamps. §he was then sentenced to three years imprisonment, and the police on searchiug her apartment, discovered papers and photographs proving her complicity with thetJoimnune. In one portrait she was represented in the costume of a vivandiere, and in another in a naval uniform. The Tribunal now sentenced her to deportation

According to a despatch in a London contemporary, the New York " Republic" the new organ of President Grant, announces that the Government of the United State 3 will take no further steps towards bringing about a resumption of specie payments, that the President believes he made a blunder in vetoing the Inflation Bill, that he has declared against the Civil Rights Bill, and that he considers the recent elections as condemnatory of the Republican party, and not of himself. What this apparently means is that he is going in boldly for a third tejsn candidature, and iHtady to bid high for for as much Democratic support as he can get, caring little for his quondam Republican friends now that they are in a minority. If the news be true, it is certainly startling, and the political movements of the next year or two in the United States will be of a very interesting and peculiar kind.

A correspondent writes from Nokomai : — " A concert and ball took place in the Nokomai School-room on Friday, the 22fch January. It was well attended. J. W. Rowe of Edenvale, officiated as chairman. Great praise is due to Mr. Harrison, the schoolteacher, for the artistic manner in which the school was decorated with ever-greens and Bags of different nations. The entertainment commenced with a song called ' Marble Arch, 1 which was given with excellent effect. Messrs. Hughes Brothers, in their comic songs, were inimitable, and kept the audience in roars of laughter. Mr. J. Bradmore sang 'My Darling Mignonette.' Mr*. G. Harris sang ' Steer my bark to Erin's Isle.' In response to an encore, he favoured the audience with a colonial song called, ' I wish myself back to my old claim again.' A good many strangers being present, favoured the audience with songs, duets, recitations, &c. After the usual rote of thanks to the chairman, musician, and others, who kindly lent their assistance on the occasion, the room was cleared and dancing commenced, which was continued with much spirit till an early hour in the morning. The proceeds go towards giving the school children a treat in the shape of a picnic. No doubt a great many will accompany them, as Mr. Coulam has kindly lent his conveyances for the occasion, which is to take place on the following Friday, on the grassy slopes of the Mataura river, and to finish up with a ball and supper at night, given by Mr. Coulam, of the United States Hotel. — Shearing is in full operation here at Mr. Cameron's station, and the weather at present is all that could be desired. Two of his men hare been laid up with the measles, but I am happy to lay they »r« fast recovering. — " Guardian."