Prickly pear

摘要

The story of the infestation of prickly pear, Opuntia spp., in southern Queensland and northern New South Wales is well known because it includes a major success of biological control - the destruction of most of the pest species by the Cactoblastis beetle. What is not so well known is the pre-beetle history of attempts to destroy the prickly pear by treatment with arsenic, and even less well known are the efforts to use the plant as stock food and ... now I get to the point... for the treatment of diabetes.