92 STOCK-POISONING PLANTS OF MONTANA. 



and turned to the right. The ej^elids twitched rapidl}^ and there was 

 a slight champing of the jaws. After this manifestation the animal 

 began to walk in a circle to the right. Each attack lasted from one to 

 two minutes and the intervals between the attacks were about five 

 minutes. On the morning of the second day it was at once apparent 

 that the attacks were becoming more severe. Their length and the 

 interval between them were the same as on the previous day. The 

 head was now turned much more decidedly to the right and the animal 

 walked around in much smaller circles. The lips and eyelids twitched 

 violently and the jaws were moved upon one another with such force 

 that the sound could be heard for a distance of 200 yards. Similar 

 symptoms, accompanied by digestive disturbances, were manifested in 

 the lamb during the second day, and it died in the afternoon. On the 

 morning of the third day it was found that the ewe had apparently 

 been pushing against the fence during a greater portion of the night 

 and was in a much more serious condition than on the second day. 

 She now wheeled around and around to the right, the neck being 

 curved so abruptly as to cause her to fall frequently. It was notice- 

 able, however, that the involuntary twitching of the eyelids and lips 

 and the grinding of the jaws had ceased. The spasmodic muscular 

 movements were largely confined to the legs. Bj^ the afternoon of the 

 third day the animal was unable to stand and the symptoms were 

 entirely confined to convulsive movements of the legs. On the 

 morning of the fourth day the animal died. The pupil of the eye 

 was at no time dilated and its expression was perfectly normal. The 

 pulse on the first day was irregular and intermittent. From 8 to 10 

 beats occurred in rapid succession, followed by an interval in which 

 from 4 to 5 beats were omitted. On the second day the pulse was 

 regular and of normal frequency and strength. During the third day 

 the pulse became rapid and weaker. The respiration was at first 

 perf ectl}^ normal, during the second day it became more rapid, and on 

 the third day it was exceedingly shallow and rapid. The only remedy 

 which was tried in this case consisted of frequent hypodermic injections 

 of one-fourth-grain doses of morphine. During the forenoon of the 

 second day six doses were given at intervals of fifteen minutes, appar- 

 ently with no eflect. The attacks of trembling and spasms became 

 during this treatment more severe, as they probably would have done 

 if no morphine had been administered. In the lamb belonging to this 

 ewe potassium permanganate was tried. One dose of 1 gram of this 

 suV)stance was given by means of a direct injection into the stomach. 

 The lamb lived much longer than other lambs which were afl^ected in 

 the same way and were not treated, but it finally succumbed. Two 

 other ewes ate small quantities of the loco weed at the same time and 

 were afi'ected in the wa}^ which has just been described, except that all 

 of the symptoms were mild in degree. In these two cases morphine 



