56 STOCK-POISONING PLANTS OF MONTANA. 



that the heart was full of dark, unaerated blood and that the lungs, 

 especially the left one, were also badly congested. The liver was 

 darker than usual, but the other organs were in good condition. 



Experiment 5. — Five cubic centimeters of the same leaf extract used 

 in the preceding experiments was fed May 23, at 2.4 p. m., through 

 a rubber tube to a rabbit weighing 1 pound 10^ ounces. At 2.30, 

 after having been running around as usual, it became noticeably 

 quieter and showed a little irregularity of breathing. At 2.54 it was 

 a little ill at ease. At 4 it appeared much brighter. Ten cubic centi- 

 meters more of the solution was then, administered. It rested quietly 

 the remainder of the day, being much disinclined to move j^et not 

 strikingl}^ ill at ease. The experiment was unfortunately terminated 

 by the escape of the rabbit during the night. 



Experiment 6. — On May 25, 11.55 a. m., 15 cubic centimeters of 

 the water extract of the leaves was fed to a rabbit weighing 1 pound 

 12 ounces. At 12.5 the first sign of uneasiness was exhibited in a 

 peculiar chewing motion of the mouth, which seemed to indicate burn- 

 ing pain in that organ. This was followed by prolonged drowsiness, 

 with an occasional rapid shaking of the head. There was no strongly 

 marked difficulty in the breathing. At 1 the animal was walking around 

 freely and eating, but it continued the head movements and its ears 

 were depressed, showing that there was still considerable discomfort. 



At 1.15 15 cubic centimeters more of the extract was administered. 

 At 3.10 and 3.30 the rabbit appeared well, and as it was sufficiently 

 active to play with a piece of paper at the latter time the experiment 

 was discontinued. The solution was too dilute for satisfactory feeding 

 experiments, the capacity of the stomachs of the rabbits used in the 

 experiment being insufficient for a much larger dose. 



Experiment 7. — Fifty grams of the fresh leafy tops, about half the 

 flowers of which had expanded, was offered at 5.25 p. m., June 6, to 

 a rabbit weighing about a pound. As the animal was hungrj^, it ate 

 some of the plants, flowers and all, quite readily, even though they 

 were dry and uninviting in comparison with younger plants not 3'et in 

 blossom. At 6, when the residue was weighed, only 13.1 grams had 

 disappeared, so that this was the amount eaten. As, however, the 

 first symptoms, which came on at 6, were strongly characteristic of 

 the poisonous substance contained in the plant, it is quite probable 

 that most of the 13.1 grams was eaten very shortly after 5.25 p. m. 



The first symptom was a pose much like that of a person who is 

 about to sneeze, the animal resting on its hind feet with its front feet 

 held close together in front of its face. Instead of sneezing, however, 

 it threw its head backward again and again, often nearly losing its 

 balance in so doing. There was an apparent dizziness, and the ej'-e- 

 sight was slighth^ impaired, for it once ran into the side of the cage. 

 This was not, however, a marked symptom. The animal grated its 



