REPORT OF THE CHEMIST. 83 



Analysis of Urano- thorite. 



Conatituents. 



Moisture ami combined water (II^O). 



Silica (SiOj) 



Thorium oxiilo (ThO) 



Uranium oxiile (TJ2O3) 



LeadosiJo (PbO) 



Aluminium oxido (AbOs) 



Iron oxiilo (FeaOj) 



Calcium oside (CiiO) 



Magnesium oxide (MgO) 



Sodium oxido (Na.20) 



Pi'clim. 



19.43 

 52.51 



.40 



11. 31 



19.38 



52. 07 



9.06 



.40* 



.33 



4.01 



2.34 



.04 



.11 



U9. 95 



PLANTS, MEDICINAL AND POISONOUS. 



EXAMINATIONS OF VARIOUS "LOCO," OR " CRAZY-WEEDS." 



For several years past the department has received numerous letters 

 from correspondents in Colorado, Kansas, California, and other "Western 

 States, giving information as to the poisonous action upon horses, cattle, 

 and sheep of various plants popularly known as ''loco- weeds," or "crazy- 

 weeds." A considerable number of plants has been received. Those most 

 frequently complained of have been Oxytropis Lcmiherti, Astragalus mol- 

 lissimiis, and Sophora serdbia. In addition, there have also been men- 

 tioned, and some sainx)les also have been obtained of, Oxytropis multi- 

 Jlori's, Oxytropis dejlcxa, Malvastrum coccineumj and Corydalis aiirca, 

 variety occidentalis. 



The reports from various correspondents and from widely-separated 

 regions agree closely as to the injurious and frequently fatal eliect upon 

 animals of eating these " loco- weeds." 



The habit of eating these weeds seems to be formed because of the 

 scarcity, at certain seasons, of nutritious grasses. All or nearly all of 

 these plants, except Oxytropis, have a bitter, disagreeable taste, yet after 

 the habit has once been formed the animals reject the sweetest grasses. 

 Among the symptoms first noticed are loss of flesh, general lassitude, 

 and impaired vision ; later the animaFs mind seems to be affected ; it 

 becomes often vicious and unmanageable, and flesh and strength are 

 both rapidly lost. When approaching some small object it will often 

 leap into the air as though to clear a high fence. Frequently in these 

 paroxysms horses have died from falling backward. 



The time required for these weeds to kill animals varies greatly, some 

 dying within three or four days, others lingering for a year or longer. 

 Some correspondents state that horses seem more susceptible to the in- 

 fluence of these plants than are either cattle or sheep j others report tha 

 all are effected similarly. 



There is some difference of opinion as to the real cause of the diseases 

 commonly attributed to "loco." Some think that the animals suffer not 

 so much from direct poisoning as from lack of nutritive food and water. 

 Mention is made of buttermilk as an antidote, but it seems not to have 

 proved valuable. 



Mr. Francis A. Wentz, of Kinsley, Kans., has instituted a series of 

 "provings" of the herb and seeds of Sophora serecia and the herb of 

 Astragalus mollissimiis ; he hopes duriag the coming year to establish 

 beyond question what, if any, particular constituents in these plants 



* From preliminary analysia. ' 



