1919] VETERINARY MEDICINE. 281 



like Z. 2)aniculatus. This form grows at an elevation of from 5,500 to 7,000 ft. 

 and covers a wide area over tlie Sierra foothills to considerable distances up 

 the moimtains. 



Considerable losses to sheepmen due to this death camas have been recorded, 

 but nearly always when the pasturage was scanty or following a long and 

 exhausting drive of the herd, there being scarcely any danger from it when 

 the sheep are kept grazing imder normal conditions. 



The name Z-alkaloid is given to the poison liberated, for the sake of con- 

 venience in referring to it. It was found to be soluble in etliyl and methyl 

 alcohol, chloroform, and acetone, but nuich less in benzene and carbon tetra.- 

 chlorid. AV'ith one exception all attempts to obtain a crystalline product from 

 all these solvents by varying tlie conditions, such as time, temperature, and 

 pressure, failed. The yield of the purified Z-alkatoid was found to be only 

 about 0.3 per cent of the weight of the dried death camas plant. The crude 

 alkaloid was tested and found poisonous to rabbits. The toxicity of the 

 plant has been determined at different periods of growth and found to be 

 poisonous at all periods except when the plant has dried up in late summer. 

 While th(> physiological action of the poison has not been carefully studied, it 

 produced at tirst twitchings of the head and limbs, then a comatose ccmdition 

 with rapid and shallow respiration, after which the animal died in a convul- 

 sion. The Z-alkaloid has no relation to zygadenin isolated at the Wyoming 

 Station. 



Curative treatment of bush sickness by iron salts, G. J. Reakes and B. C. 

 Aston {Jour. Agr. [New Zeal.], 18 {1919), No. 4, pp. 193-197, figs. 2),— "Sum- 

 marizing the results of the medicinal experiments to date, it would appear 

 that of the inorganic preparations, wliile either the administration of (a) 

 phosphates or (b) iron compounds to cattle on phosphate-dressed pasture may 

 enable them to be kept healthy for a nuich longer period than otherwise woidd 

 be possible, it is only by drenching witli a sirup-of-iron phosphate that animals 

 may be kept healthy indetinitely or cured of bush sickness. Of organic com- 

 pounds, it is certain that tlie double citrate of iron and ammonium is a 

 rpiicker cure for bush sickness than the sirup-of-iron phosphate. It is proba- 

 ble that other organic salts of iron would be similarly successful." 



Castor bean meal as a poultry food, H. T. Ativinson {Utility Poultri/ Jour. 

 [Harper Adams Agr. Col.], J/. {1918-19), No. 2, p. 21). — Feed consisting of 1 

 part castor bean meal and 5 parts mixed meal comprised of sharps, ground 

 oats, etc.. was fed to cockerels in quantities of 4.5 to 5 oz. per bird each day, 

 a little grain food l)eing given in addition and grit and water also being avail- 

 able. The feed was eaten (>agerly. but the birds steadily lost weight, and by the 

 end of 3 weeks the total loss in weight was 4 lbs. 10 oz. The loss in weight 

 continued steadily and at the end of the thirty-sixth day one bird died, followed 

 4 days later by another. On the fortieth day the castor meal feed was discon- 

 tinued and the 4 remaining birds fed on ordinary meaf. After the change of 

 food the birds commenced to recover slowly, but at the end of 3 weeks had put 

 on but very little flesh. 



The principles of acidosis and clinical methods for its study, A. W. Sel- 

 LAEDS {Canihridge: Harvard Univ. Press, 1917, pp. TI+117, pi. 1). — The several 

 chapters of this work deal with the equilibi'ium between acids and bases, 

 methods of diagnosing acidosis, behavior of the body in health, and in acidosis 

 toward sodium bicarbonate, relative value of the various tests for acidosis, 

 deflnition of acidosis, occurrence of acidosis, th»'rapy, differential diagnosis, and 

 etiology of acidosis. A resume follows and technique of methods is dealt with 

 in an appendix. A bibliography of 71 titles is included. 



