392 EXPERIMENT STATION RECORD. 



down the windpipe. The air in the lungs is therefore not renewed and the animal 

 dies by asphyxia or suffocation. 



"As long as the sheep can stand on his feet, or walk, he keeps up with the herd as 

 nearly as possible. The exercise, however, excites him, makes his respiration more 

 rapid, and he has frequently to lie down for a moment and then get up and hobble 

 along after the herd. The worst cases can thus easily be detected, since they 

 straggle behind the rest of the herd. 



"The later stages of the poisoning follow rather rapidly. The involuntary move- 

 ments become more frequent and more severe. All four legs tremble and shake vio- 

 lently. In fact all the muscles of the body contract spasmodically until the animal 

 totters over on his side and dies in the most violent spasms."' 



The similarity to aconite poisoning suggested the line of treatment 

 followed. Bleeding gave no relief and lard given internally had no 

 noticeable effect. When only small amounts of larkspur had been 

 taken the administration of ammonia or alcohol was found to give good 

 results. During the first stages 3 drains of ether given through the 

 mouth had good effect and later h dram of ether given hypodermically 

 stimulated the action of the heart and respiration. The most effective 

 remedy was hypodermic injections of a solution of atropine sulphate 

 in camphor water (4 grains of atropine to 1 fluid ounce of camphor 

 water). Doses of 40, 30, and 20 minims of the solution were used , equiv- 

 alent to £, J, and % of a grain of atropine sulphate. The solution was 

 injected in the region of the shoulder. The effect was almost immedi- 

 ate. With one exception all the sheep treated by this method recov- 

 ered. In the later convulsive stages of poisoning, ammonia fumes under 

 the nostrils proved beneficial. 



" Care in the management of sheep after they are poisoned is quite as important 

 as the giving of medicines. Sheep poisoned with larkspur should be kept as quiet 

 as possible. A trilling fright or excitement may throw them into spasms, and thus 

 result fatally. From the very first the poisoned sheep have considerable difficulty iu 

 keeping up with the rest of the herd. They have a stiff and trembling gait. It 

 becomes necessary for them frequently to stop for a moment to rest. In this way 

 they repeatedly fall behind the herd and then run to overtake it again. Thus their 

 excitement is constantly increased until they fall down in spasms. 



"As soon as the stiffness and straddling gait, which are the first symptoms of 

 larkspur poisoning, are noticed, one or the other of two methods of juocedure should 

 be adopted. Either the whole band of sheep should be herded closely and prevented 

 from moving as fast as it usually moves, or, what is perhaps still better, the poi- 

 soned sheep should be separated from the others and kept as quiet as may be." 



The author reports 2 experiments with sheep in which chloroform 

 and benzol extracts of larkspur were injected. 



"After 15 minutes the lambs began to show symptoms of larkspur poisoning and 

 at the end of 1 hour the symptoms were so plain and pronounced that it was con- 

 sidered useless to sacrifice the lambs to the experiment. Both were therefore given 

 one-eighth of a grain of atropine, which, with the aid of a small dash of ammonia in 

 the nostrils, counteracted the effects of the poison and the lambs recovered com- 

 pletely. 



"These experiments are quite iu accord with the conclusions reached in the field 

 work, and furnish another strong piece of evidence to the correctness of those con- 

 clusions, not only as to the cause of the poisoning but as to remedies to be used." 



