142 KANSAS ACADEMY OP SCIENCE. 



sorts of pathological symiDtoms, among these the "locoism" so poorly 

 defined by various reporters. 



This theory of the inciting cause of loco disease has been suggested 

 in a former paper, and the additional evidence which has come to us 

 since seems to confirm this theory, even though statements suggest- 

 ing other theories are not wanting. For example, from Guimon, Okla., 

 Mr. Oscar Glandville, to whom, by the way, we are indebted for a 

 splendid lot of the plant — root, stem, and leaves — we obtain the fol- 

 lowing information, accompanying the consignment of the plant. He 

 says : "If you will examine closely the plant sent, you will see, under 

 the leaves of the unhealthy branches, small eggs. When a cow or a 

 horse swallows these eggs by eating the leaves, the eggs hatch out, and 

 the larvae, wriggling about, seem to affect the brain." This is the 

 ranchman's hypothesis, and he proves it to you by showing the 

 stomach of an animal dead from the loco habit. He also cites you 

 the year when the loco is healthy — no eggs are to be found on the 

 leaves, no boring in the roots. He says these are the years when 

 cattle can eat it without injury. Loco weed will be found unhealthy 

 in one pasture and very thrifty in another. The pastures where the 

 unhealthy weed exists is the only place where the cattle can get locoed. 

 The ranchmen claim that this insect kills the loco out completely every 

 seven years by boring into the root. This year the loco has been more 

 healthy than common ; consequently less cattle have been lost. 



Mr. John Fields, director of the experiment station at Stillwater, 

 Okla., addressed a recent live-stock convention on "How best to 

 prevent loco." He said: "One either believes that there is some- 

 thing in this loco business, or he believes that there is nothing in it." 

 He indicated that he had no fixed opinion himself. Quoting from 

 his own word: "Our present activity along this line dates from a re- 

 quest made by Senator Marum, of Woodward, who has been studying 

 and watching the habits of the loco plant growing there. He ob- 

 served an insect that seemed to be killing off the loco, and another 

 insect that killed the first one, and it was his idea that, by furthering 

 the propagation of the loco-destroying insect, it might be possible to 

 eradicate loco at small cost. The idea, he said, is an entirely feasible 

 one, and presents many attractive features. He suggested a possible 

 relation between the loco-eating habit and abortion in cattle. This, 

 he stated, deserves immediate attention." 



Mr. Fields referred to some loco experiments conducted by Doctor 

 Lewis, veterinarian. The plant was fed to rabbits, with the expectation 

 of "locoing" them. The leaves, the stems, the whole plant and an 

 extract of the plant were fed to different lots of rabbits for a period 

 of one to two months, without noticeable effect. Mr. Fields added 



