Poisoning of Cattle. 425 



which show clinical symptoms varied from 5 to 60 per cent, in the 

 outbreaks investigated. 



Animals Affected. — The condition was only noted to occur in 

 cattle, and young stock of from fourteen months to two years appeared 

 to be more susceptible than adult cattle. Horses, donkeys, sheep, and 

 goats grazed on the infected grass without developing any clinical 

 symptoms. This apparent immunity may, to some extent, be due to 

 the different method of grazing adopted by these animals by which 

 little of the infected heads would be collected. No fondness for 

 diseased heads, as observed in cattle, was noted in these animals. 



Symptoms. — The symptoms in the affected animals vary in 

 intensity from a slight in-co-ordination of movements to complete 

 paralysis. Hyperaesthesia and increased respirations were not so 

 marked in the cases which occurred under natural conditions as were 

 noted in those produced experimentally. 



In the majority of instances the natural cases were comparatively 

 mild, the symptoms shown consisted of staring coat, high stepping 

 movement of the front legs in walking, defective vision indicated by 

 an absence of any attempt to avoid holes in the ground or obstacles, 

 occasional stumbling, lateral swaying of the hindquarters, and a 

 general lowering of muscular tone. Appetite is unimpaired in the 

 early stages, but, later, there is loss of appetite, and in consequence 

 the animal has a " tucked-up " appearance. The most acute cases were 

 seen among some eighteen-month-old oxen wliich had been feeding 

 on infected grass for some weeks. Few cases of partial paralysis were 

 noted, and these affected animals exhibited marked symptoms of 

 hyperaesthesia, hurried respirations, and a rapid thready pulse. 



Mortality. — A few cases of deaths from the condition were 

 reported, but in none of the outbreaks personally investigated did any 

 mortality occur. This may have been due to the fact that in these 

 cases the owners were advised to remove the animals at once and 

 provide good nursing for badly affected ones, but in general it may 

 be taken that in uncomplicated cases the mortality is almost negligible. 

 The resulting loss of condition is the greatest economic factor to be 

 considered, and though clinically affected animals recover from the 

 acute symptoms fairly rapidly it requires a considerable time on a 

 good nursing diet to recover from the effects of the intoxication, and 

 the animal's general physique, especially in growing animals, suffers 

 in conse(iuence. 



Treatment. — The treatment which was found to give most rapid 

 results after the necessary removal from the paspalum lands consisted 

 of a saline purge followed by a few days' rationing on green lucerne 

 or barley, the idea being merely to prevent further ingestion and to 

 assist in elimination of the unabsorbed toxic elements in the digestive 

 tract. 



Prophylactic measures consist of reaping and collection of the 

 grass during the flowering season, at which time the material collected 

 from the lands may be fed to cattle with perfect safety. Burning 

 of unreaped lands during the winter will have the effect of destroying 

 most of the resting forms of the fungus, but this procedure is not to 

 be recommended on account of harmful effect of the fire on the grass 

 roots. Heavy stocking at the commencement of the summer before 

 the flowering season will be found to be effectual. By this means 



