Kale Anaemia—I. The Toxicity to Various Species of Animal of Three Types of Kale

In yearling cattle fed exclusively on Cannell’s Canson thousandhead kale or on Sutton’s or Maris Kestrel marrowstem, blood haemoglobin fell to 4 or 5 g./100 ml. after 2 to 3 weeks. After kale feeding had ended, blood haemoglobin concentration returned to normal in 3 to 4 weeks. The anaemia was haemolytic and accompanied by haemoglobinuria; it was also characterized as being macrocytic and normoor slightly hypochromic. Heinz-Ehrlich bodies, reticulocytes, basophilic stippling and siderocytes were seen in the blood of anaemic animals, but no methaemoglobin was found. Sheep were less severely affected than cattle. In goats, haemoglobin concentration fell steeply, but then returned to normal even though kale was still being eaten. Rabbits and guinea pigs did not become anaemic when fed on kale. Kale stored for 4 months at — 20°C. caused anaemia in cattle and goats.