WYOMING WATER HEMLOCK. 85 



to make reliable observations on this point, for the reason that an 

 attempt to manipulate the animal always results in increasing the 

 mental excitement and the violence of the muscular spasms. These 

 spasms rapidly become more and more severe as the cerebral excite- 

 ment increases until the animal appears to be in an unconscious condi- 

 tion and dies in the most violent spasms. In some cases of cattle 

 poisoned by this plant the victims died within fifteen minutes after 

 the first signs of poisoning had appeared. In other cases among both 

 sheep and cattle where the first symptoms succeeded one another less 

 rapidly the animal lived for two or three hours, dying finally from 

 exhaustion, apparently as the result of the violent muscular convulsions. 



REMEDIAL AND PKEVEXTIVE MEASURES. 



Water hemlock is to be considered as a dangerous poisonous plant, 

 especiall}" because so large a percentage of the animals poisoned by it 

 ultimately die, and because its action is so rapid that the possibility of 

 treating a large number of simultaneous cases is practically precluded. 

 It will readily be understood that in any case where several hundred 

 animals are poisoned at the same time considerable skill will be required 

 to administer even a simple treatment to each animal in time to pre- 

 vent the fatal effects of the poisoning. But the difficulty is especially 

 great when one has to deal with a plant like water hemlock, of which a 

 fatal dose may produce death within fifteen minutes. As already 

 indicated, antidotes for poisoning from this plant may be applied with 

 success if the animals are noticed immediately after the first sj^mptoms 

 of poisoning appear. Too often, however, especiall}^ in the case of 

 cattle, the poisoning is not discovered until it is too late to give any 

 remedial treatment. 



Permanganate of potash should be promptly administered as pre- 

 vioush' recommended for poisoning b^^ other plants. If violent 

 symptoms are alread}^ apparent, give morphine or some other sedative 

 hypodermically. In no case should these be administered by way of 

 the mouth if the permanganate has already been given. Morphine 

 should be given in doses as follows: For adult sheep, li grains; for 

 cattle and horses, 3 to 10 grains. 



The distribution of water hemlock is much less extensive in the 

 localities where it grows than is that of death camas. It would seem, 

 therefore, to be a comparatively easy matter to prevent sheep from 

 grazing on areas where it occurs, at least during the spring and 

 sunmier. It seldom happens that water hemlock is found along the 

 whole course of the stream or around the whole circumference of a 

 lake. There are, in nearly every case, places free from it at which 

 the sheep could be watered with safety. In case the water hemlock 

 grows along the banks of the stream at points which are the most con- 

 venient watering places, it could here be exterminated with a moderate 



