“Nature never did betray”
- wordsworth
Most of the veterinarians and few scientists are of the opinion that bacterial / viral proteins only can produce antibodies, but not plant proteins. It is not true. Few plant proteins also can produce antibodies. Ricin is one of the protein which is capable of inducing the formation of antibodies in the animal body. These antibodies allow the animals to withstand up to 800 times of normal lethal dose. Unfortunately, this information was not taught to undergraduate students on those days.
In my native (dry) district castor bean plants were grown in the boundaries of dry lands as commercial crop. There is ample chance for the grazing animals to trespass into the caster bean plant cultivated lands and consume first the castor bean leaves. But, invariably the landowners will drive them out before they consume sufficient quantity to produce toxicity. Consuming frequently small quantity of castor bean leaves during grazing the animals in my district develop antibodies and become immune to the toxicity of ricin even if they consume large quantity of castor bean leaves.
But, the animals in delta district are not exposed to this plant during their lifetime since this plant is not grown in the fields as commercial crop. The castor bean plants are grown in the delta area only in the garden more as ornamental plant. So, there is no chance for the animals grown in that area to consume the leaves of castor bean during the grazing as in dry districts. Due to this, the animals in delta districts are not immune to the toxin – Ricin. Whenever the plant is overgrown the owners cut and throw the branches of the castor bean plants from the garden in the public places. Unfortunately, the animals that are roaming in the streets will have a chance to consume sufficient quantity of castor
bean leaves to produce toxicity and death. Like that only the kid which consumed the castor bean leaves was brought to me. Due to lack of this information as veterinary student, I lost my first case in my practice.
Even today, no veterinarian in delta districts can save the poor animals which consume large quantity of these leaves since there is no antidote to ricin poison. However, they can be saved only by giving antiserum like treating tetanus cases. Unfortunately, no company in this country is manufacturing and marketing the antiserum for ricin toxicity.
If the animal was brought immediately after consuming the castor bean leaves there is a chance to save it by complete stomach wash. For that a well experienced vet and necessary instruments must be readily available at hand.
From my experience, I wish to record for the benefit of field vets and veterinary students that “A poisonous plant to grazing animals in one geographical area needs not be poisonous in other geographical area of the same district.”
In my native (dry) district castor bean plants were grown in the boundaries of dry lands as commercial crop. There is ample chance for the grazing animals to trespass into the caster bean plant cultivated lands and consume first the castor bean leaves. But, invariably the landowners will drive them out before they consume sufficient quantity to produce toxicity. Consuming frequently small quantity of castor bean leaves during grazing the animals in my district develop antibodies and become immune to the toxicity of ricin even if they consume large quantity of castor bean leaves.
But, the animals in delta district are not exposed to this plant during their lifetime since this plant is not grown in the fields as commercial crop. The castor bean plants are grown in the delta area only in the garden more as ornamental plant. So, there is no chance for the animals grown in that area to consume the leaves of castor bean during the grazing as in dry districts. Due to this, the animals in delta districts are not immune to the toxin – Ricin. Whenever the plant is overgrown the owners cut and throw the branches of the castor bean plants from the garden in the public places. Unfortunately, the animals that are roaming in the streets will have a chance to consume sufficient quantity of castor
bean leaves to produce toxicity and death. Like that only the kid which consumed the castor bean leaves was brought to me. Due to lack of this information as veterinary student, I lost my first case in my practice.
Even today, no veterinarian in delta districts can save the poor animals which consume large quantity of these leaves since there is no antidote to ricin poison. However, they can be saved only by giving antiserum like treating tetanus cases. Unfortunately, no company in this country is manufacturing and marketing the antiserum for ricin toxicity.
If the animal was brought immediately after consuming the castor bean leaves there is a chance to save it by complete stomach wash. For that a well experienced vet and necessary instruments must be readily available at hand.
From my experience, I wish to record for the benefit of field vets and veterinary students that “A poisonous plant to grazing animals in one geographical area needs not be poisonous in other geographical area of the same district.”
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