English yew poisoning in 43 cattle
Panter, K.E.; Molyneux, R.J.; Smart, R.A.; Mitchell, L.; Hansen, S.
Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association 202(9): 1476-1477
1993
ISSN/ISBN: 0003-1488 PMID: 8098701 Document Number: 410346
Thirty-five privately owned 1- to 2-year-old mixed-breed steers and heifers, weighing 340 to 454 kg, died after eating English yew (Taxus baccata). Estimated dosages ranged from 0.36 to 0.70 g of fresh plant/kg of body weight. Clinical signs of poisoning and death began 2 to 3 h after first exposure, and cattle continued to have clinical signs, which ended in death 6 to 8 h later. Most cattle had died by 4 h after first ingestion. PM examination of 4 cattle revealed substantial amounts of English yew leaves and small stems in the rumen contents. Grossly, there were areas of hyperaemia in the abomasum and small intestine. Histologically, lesions were limited to the lungs and included moderate congestion and interlobular oedema. Chemical analysis by thin-layer chromatography of suspected yew plant material from the rumen contents of the 4 cattle examined PM was compared to authentic taxol, and confirmed the presence of taxol in rumen samples.