139 



A Suspected Case of Stock Poisoning by Wild Onion 

 (Allium Canadense.)^ 



F. J. PiPAL, Purdue University. 



On June 23, 1917, a case of live-stock poisoning had been reported 

 by Mr. William Feldt, living about live and one-half miles southeast 

 of Lafayette. Dr. G. M. Funkhouser, of Lafayette, who investigated 

 the case, reported, in substance, the following facts: 



Five cows and one heifer were taken from a timothy pasture, which 

 was rather dry and short at that time, and turned into a woods pasture 

 on Sunday morning. In the evening of the same day, only four cows 

 and the heifer returned from the pasture to the farm barnyard. The 

 fifth cow was found in the pasture lying down and unable to get up. 

 When the cows were milked it was noticed, with one exception, that the 

 milk emitted a very strong and offensive odor and had considerably 

 decreased in quantity. The breath of the cows was also strongly 

 tainted with this odor and, in fact, it seemed that their whole bodies 

 exhaled it. 



On the following morning the doctor found the cow left in the 

 pasture in a complete paralytic condition, her temperature, however, 

 being quite normal; she died two days later. One of the cows in the 

 barnyard was, by this time, in a similar condition and died the same 

 day. One of the remaining three cows stood with her head erect, the 

 hair bristling, and refused to move. Another had a tendency to draw 

 her head to one side and when compelled to move went around in a 

 circle and fell down. The third had a staring attitude and also a 

 tendency to move in a circle. The temperature of all three animals was 

 normal. All died on the following day. The heifer also had a staring 

 attitude and in addition showed signs of cerebral disturbance, acting 

 rather wildly. 



The post-mortem examination showed that the inside membrane of 

 the paunch was strongly affected, appearing as though scalded and 



1 Contribution from the Department of Botany of the Purdue University Agricultural 

 Experiment Station. 



