VETERINARY MEDICINE. 183 



suits wore obtiiiuod by tlic tliorou,;,'!! aiiplicatioii of washes of clilorid ol' zinc in 

 |() per cent solution. 



Poisoning of cattle by Lima beans, (J. Mosselman (.1//;/. Mrd. I'r/., 55 

 (HXKi). .Vo.s. ,)'. /(/*. I'll-I'i.l; //, ])i). 2l)5-.il5). — The seeds of various varieties of 

 I'lia-scoliiN liDiatiis contain (luantities of shicosid which is cajjahle, after fer- 

 mentation, of producin,:; i'nouj,'h hydrocyanic acid 1o kill herbivorous animals 

 which eat the beans. 



According to experiments, 500 gm. of beans may be enough to kill a horse 

 and if fed in hirger quantities the result may be fatal even after cooking. 

 Even the leaves of cultivated varieties were found to be toxic, but the toxicity 

 varied greatly according to the age of the plants and the stage of vegetation. 

 lu cases where the jilants or beans contained free hydrocyanic acid animals 

 refused to eat them. This was found to be the case with rabbits and guinea 

 ])igs after allowing them to fast for 2 days. It is believed by the author that 

 not all varieties of P. hoiatus are poisonous, and it is suggested that this mat- 

 ter may depend somewhat on the soil and nature of the cultivation. 



Mushroom poisoning in cows, Haga (yorsk Vet. Tids'^kr., 18 (1906), No. 

 1-2. pp. 29. .30). — In a small herd of cows in Suldal, 2 animals died as a result 

 of eating i)oisonous mushrooms, apparently Agaricus niusciirhix. The symptoms 

 were those which are commonly described as occurring in man and developed 

 :vith great violence. There was profuse diarrhea accompanied with brain 

 symptoms. No opportunity was had for testing any remedial measures. 



Larkspur and other poisonous plants, (J. H. Glover {Colorado Sta. Bui. 113, 

 pp. 2'i, plfi. 8). — The losses from poisonous plants in Colorado are annually a seri- 

 ous drain on the stockmen. The station in cooperation with tlie Biu'eau of I'lant 

 Industry of this Department is investigating a number of problems connected 

 with poisonous plants. 



In th(> i)r(>sent rei)ort a general discussion is given of tlie factors which deter- 

 mine plant poisoning and particular attention is given to larkspur, death eamas, 

 water hemlock, lupines, and rubber plant. As remedies for larkspur poisoning 

 the author recommends drenches with potassium permanganate and a liypo- 

 dermic injection of atropin. Descriptive and biological notes are also given on 

 death camas, water hemlock, and lupines, with brief notes on curative methods. 

 The bulletin also contains a feature of practical importance to stockmen consist- 

 ing of a synopsis of symptoms and treatment to be applied in tlie poisoning of 

 cattle, horses, and sheep by different plants under different conditions. 



Geel dikkop, R. Paine {Jour. Conrpar. Path, and Thcr., 19 (1906), No. 1, pp. 

 5-8). — This disease, connnonly known b.y its Dutch name, which means yellow 

 thick head, affects chiefly ^Merino and Africander sheep and Angora goats. 



The ti'onble usually appears in herds grazing on low land after a considerable 

 rainfall. The head and ears swell greatly and a dropsical condition of these 

 parts ai)pcars. The temperatui'e often rises to 104° F. A certain jiercentage of 

 cases may live for a week or more, but they usually end fatally. If no treatment 

 is adopted, the swollen parts biecome dry, shrivel up, and crack. The general con- 

 dition of jaundice is also observed. Most sheepmen believe that the disease ma.v 

 be prevented b.v I'emoving the flock to high land where the disease is not preva- 

 lent and keeiiing the sheei) corralled initil after the dew is off in the morning. 



When examincMl post mortem, affected sheep were found to show a general 

 jaimdiced condition, with a soft liver, inflanmiation of the gall bladder, and occa- 

 sionally an enlargement of the spleen. Considerable benefit is to be derived 

 from feeding the sheep on alfalfa and giving them plenty of good water. The 

 average mortality is about 40 per cent. Occasionally the disease appears to be 

 capable of transmission by inoculation, but the nature of the trouble is not well 

 understood. 



