ZYGADENUS, OR DEATH CAMAS. 7 



ANIMALS POISONED BY ZYGADENUS. 



Swine are said to eat Zygadenus bulbs with no bad results (Parsons, 

 1904, p. 8). 



Cattle are susceptible to the poison and there are reports of result- 

 ing deaths. So far as has been learned, however, deaths of cattle 

 from this cause are not common, and it is not especially to be feared 

 by the cattlemen. 



Many cases of horses poisoned by this plant are reported. The 

 animals are made very sick, but apparently most of them recover. 

 Mr. Uttermohl, of Bigtimber, Mont., who has had considerable expe- 

 rience with Zygadenus, is of the opinion that some of those that 

 recover are permanently injured. 



Sheep are the animals most frequently poisoned. This is probably 

 due in part to a greater susceptibility to the toxic principle of Zyga- 

 denus, but very probably it is to a considerable extent due to the way 

 in which sheep are managed upon the range. While grazing, they are 

 frequently herded rather compactly, so that they eat the forage closely, 

 and when passing over a Zygadenus area many of them may eat a 

 large quantity of this plant. 



The cases of human poisoning are mostly of children, who find 

 the bulbs attractive and sometimes collect them instead of the edible 

 camas, species of Calochortus and Camassia. Most of these cases 

 recover, but there have been a number of fatalities. 



SYMPTOMS PRODUCED BY ZYGADENUS POISONING. 



With the exception of the work of Chesnut and Wilcox, nothing 

 has been published in regard to the symptoms exhibited by grazing 

 animals. These authors (1901, p. 61) state that the principal 

 symptoms of poisoning in sheep are salivation, nausea, uneasiness, 

 staggering, muscular incoordination, paralysis, and convulsions. 

 The animals sometimes lie many hours before death. The writers 

 mentioned state also that cattle and horses have spasms. 



Several investigators have mentioned some of the symptoms in 

 man. Heller (1909, p. 52) gives the symptoms (quoting from 

 Dr. Lee, of Carson) as "nausea, headache, followed by more or less 

 stupor." He states that the heart's action was lessened in frequency, 

 while the strength of the pulse remained normal. The respirations 

 were almost normal. In another case vomiting was followed by 

 the loss of all power of feeling. 



Heyl and Raiford (1911, p. 64) and Hunt (manuscript) speak 

 of the irritating character of the dust when the dry plant is being 

 ground, which leads to sneezing on the part of those doing the work. 



The Lloyds (1887) give as symptoms in man " extreme thirst, con- 

 stant vomiting, dilation of the pupil, coma, and inflammation of the 

 stomach." They also say that one case had very violent convulsions. 



