88 STOCK-POISONING PLANTS OF MONTANA. 



On the one hand a number of sheep raisers believe that the eating of 

 large quantities of alkali is itself the cause of the loco disease. A few 

 sheep men have maintained that the locoed condition is in every case 

 due to eating alkali or to drinking strongly alkaline water. This asser- 

 tion is definite^ disproved by the fact that sheep and horses are known 

 to have become locoed while feeding on mountain ranges where no 

 alkali soil was to be found and where all of the water was free from 

 alkali. A considerable number of sheep became locoed while feeding 

 on a range of this character on the slopes of the Rockies near Augusta, 

 Mont. No alkali was to be found on this range in either soil or water. 

 These sheep were removed to another range where the loco weed did 

 not grow so abundantly, but where all the water was somewhat alka- 

 line. Their condition improved slightly under the changed conditions, 

 although they were still able to find and eat the loco weed in small 

 quantities. 



On the other hand, an equally large number of sheep men believe 

 that there is no connection between the loco disease and alkali. A 

 second explanation for the observed fact that sheep most frequently 

 acquire the loco habit when not salted is that the lack of salt and the 

 phj^siological action of the alkali may bring about a depraved appetite 

 which manifests itself in the formation of the loco habit. As already 

 stated in a previous part of this report/ the different forms of alkali, 

 such as are found in Montana, can scarcely be considered substitutes 

 for common salt in the animal economy. Disturbances in the normal 

 phj-siology of animals are likely to result in the majority of cases from 

 total absence of salt. It is well known that a number of diseased con- 

 ditions in animals are accompanied with manifestations of a depraved 

 appetite. From a general description given of the loco disease it is 

 apparent that this condition might very justl}^ be termed a perverted 

 appetite. It has, to be sure, not been demonstrated b}^ actual observa- 

 tion that the depraved appetite which is shown in the formation of 

 the habit of eating loco weeds is in cver}^ instance the result of the first 

 taste of these plants, A number of observations made b}^ the prin- 

 cipal sheep raisers and by ourselves indicate, as already stated, that 

 sheep more frequently form the habit of eating the loco plants when 

 not regularly supplied with salt than when abundantly furnished with 

 this substance. All reliable observations point to the conclusion that 

 it is highly desirable to suppl}^ sheep with a sufficient quantit}' of salt, 

 which they can get whenever they wish it. 



It has been frequently suggested that the peculiar effects produced 

 by eating loco weeds are due to inadequate nutrition. In such a theory 

 it is of course assumed that the loco weeds do not contain the elements 

 necessary to the diet of a sheep or horse. The proof of this assertion 

 is not forthcoming, and it seems more reasonable to believe that the 



iPages20,21. 



