130 STOCK-POISONING PLANTS OF MONTANA. 



white rabbit. Only a slight uneasiness was noticeable up to about 1 

 o'clock, when this feature became strongly marked and was accompa- 

 nied with rather heavy breathing. During most of the time from 

 1.13 to 2.57 it remained quiet and was very sleepy. At 2.57, 15 c. c. 

 more of the extract was given. At 3.30 the drowsiness was strongly 

 marked, and at the same time the heartV action was tumultuous, the 

 thumping being very conspicuous. At 3.40 there was a curious 

 lateral movement of the jaws; the ears and the skin were cold, and the 

 heart still rapid. At 3.55 there was much restlessness, but at 4.5 the 

 rabbit was so much easier that it would eat well. At7.55 32c. c. 

 more of the extract was administered by mouth in the same way as 

 before, and on the next morning the rabbit was found dead. 



Exjoeriinent 2. — A second experiment was begun with the same water 

 extract on June 6, but in the attempt to feed an ounce to a rabbit it 

 died, and as there was not then a sufficient amount of the extract left, 

 no other experiments were made with the same solution. 



Expeinment 3. — A stable horse to which some of the fresh leaves 

 were offered while in the field would not touch them, although 

 strongly persuaded to do so. 



Experiment Jf,. — On June 11 fresh material from fruiting plants, the 

 leaves of which had a decidedly bitter taste, was collected on Bridger 

 Peak and a water extract was made of it on the same day. On June 

 14, 200 c. c. of this extract, the equivalent of 155 grams of leaves, was 

 fed at 1.15 p. m. to a sheep weighing about 50 pounds, the liquid 

 being poured into the stomach by means of a funnel and rubber tube, 

 as explained in the introduction. Up to 3 p. m. no particular uneasi- 

 ness had been noted, and so the remainder of the extract, the equiva- 

 lent of 176 grams of the fresh leaves, was given in the same way. At 

 3.25 a slight giddiness was noted, which was accompanied with heavy 

 breathing, a disinclination to move, and a weaker heart action. The 

 animal remained uneasy during the remainder of the day up to 7.15 

 o'clock, but on the next morning it fed heartily and was about as well 

 as usual. 



Experiment 5. — The residue from which the water extract used in 

 Experiment 1 was prepared remained in contact with some 60 per cent 

 alcohol until June 16, when it was filtered and the filtrate evaporated 

 down to 25 c. c. One and one-half cubic centimeters of this, equiva- 

 lent to about 3 grams of the fresh leaves, was injected hypodermically 

 into a 48-ounce rabbit, but no ill consequence was noted. 



In an experiment made by Dr. S. B. Nelson ^ with the same plant at 

 Pullman, Washington, a sheep ate a pound of the plant within a period 

 of twenty-four hours without experiencing any ill effect. 



1 U. S. Dept. Agr. B. A, I, Bui. 22, p. 14. 1898. 



