POISONOUS PLANTS 255 



This is especially true if the animal is down on its side. 

 There is no premonitory sign or long-drawn-out death 

 struggle. The breath stops and the animal is dead. 



If you have a trocar and canula use it; if not, take a 

 pocket knife, for there is not time to go to the house 

 for the former. A trocar and canula is a long, sharp, 

 steel instrument similar to an ice pick. It has a metal 

 scabbard over it and when plunged into the animal's 

 side the tool itself is withdrawn, leaving the scabbard 

 or canula in the wound through which the gas may 

 escape. I have heard of using the long sharp nose of 

 an ordinary oil can. Force through the hide and 

 stomach and then unscrew the can and leave the point 

 in place. 



Select a spot five inches below the hip bone on the 

 left side and about as far back from the last small 

 ribs. Here the hide and the wall of the stomach come 

 close together. Into it plunge the instrument or knife 

 blade. Don't be afraid to do it boldly, for you have a 

 thick hide to penetrate and also the stomach lining. 

 Look out that the knife blade does not close up on your 

 fingers and make a nasty cut. Also keep your mouth 

 closed and head away from the line of the cut, in order 

 to avoid receiving at short range some of the contents 

 of the stomach in the way of gas together with a goodly 

 amount of half-digested alfalfa. 



In some cases it may be necessary to open the 

 stomach and remove the contents, but this is not often. 

 The gas rushes out of the cut from the stomach and the 

 animal is immediately relieved, as a man would be if 

 some one had him by the throat and suddenly released 

 him. Smear a little grease or tar about the cut to keep 

 out flies and screw worms; sew it up with a stitch or 



