144 KANSAS ACADEMY OF SCIENCE. 



Seneca, Kan., stated that in 1886 he, with another farmer, bought 250 

 head of cattle in the latter part of March ; in the spring they were 

 anxious to put them out to grass. The cattle were poor and under- 

 fed, and having a frail constitution — a characteristic of open-range 

 cattle ; that is, cattle wholly dependent upon nature's supply for food. 

 When these cattle were placed into pasture of grass interspersed with 

 loco they died ofP rapidly, a large percentage being lost. Mr. Cone 

 and his partner investigated the matter for themselves, and came to 

 the conclusion that the cause was due to the suddenness of food change. 

 The following winter Mr. Cone states : "We put up feed for the win- 

 ter, and our herds came to grass with healthier constitutions, and we 

 did not lose another from loco weed, although it was as abundant as 

 it had been formerly." Prof. L. G. Carpenter, of Fort Collins, in- 

 forms me that the loco plant has been collected and fed to horses for 

 some length of time, but a detailed report of these experiments is 

 not yet available. Other reports have come to us that if the animal 

 is in prime condition no fear of the loco weed need be entertained. 



We do not wish to be understood as believing that the question of 

 "locoism" has been settled by any theory we have advanced; on the 

 contrary, as time and means permit, we shall continue the investiga- 

 tion, ready to follow up any suggestions which those who have had 

 opportunities of observation have to offer. Some have suggested that 

 the mysterious lurking power of the loco plant might be found in an 

 organic acid. Accordingly we have taken this up for investigation, 

 and have succeeded in isolating the acid of the plant. We are not 

 able to report fully on physiological experiments with this acid as yet, 

 but, so far as we have gone, it seems to be without toxic properties. 

 We have also had the suggestion that the harm coming from this 

 plant is due to the inorganic constituents ; this clue has been followed 

 up, but, like the others, has brought us no nearer to the solution of 

 the problem. 



Mr. Havenhill, assistant professor of pharmacy, finds the inorganic 

 constituents as follows : Acid in oven-dry herb, 19.9 per cent. ; of this, 

 5 per cent, is soluble in water. Ash in oven-dry root, 6.2 per cent.; 

 of this, 33.5 per cent, is soluble in water. This shows the preponder- 

 ance of the alkalies to be in the root. The analysis does not indicate 

 a cause for any disorder or disease in connection with the plant. 



We are now experimenting with the powdered leaves and stem in 

 connection with an artificially prepared gastric fluid. Possibly we 

 may find developed in appreciable quantity prussic acid. Such a re- 

 action seems possible in the light of the experiments of H. B. Sledd 

 upon sorghum. (See Trans. Amer. Chem. Soc, vol. XXV, p. 55.) 



