258 PRINCIPAL STOCK-POISONING PLANTS 



poisoning is not fatal. Other common symptoms are quivering 

 of the entire body, loss of muscular control, restlessness, stiff- 

 ness of gait, excessive salivation, weak, rapid pulse, and evi- 

 dence of pain in the abdomen, probably due to constipation. 

 If pronounced symptoms of nausea occur, death is ahnost cer- 

 tain to follow. (See Fig. 77.) The symptoms are practically 

 uniform for the tall and low larkspurs. If the case has not 

 developed fatally, recovery from larkspur poisoning is very 

 rapid. The effects usually disappear in two or three days, and 

 no permanent injury is left. 



Remedies. — As already said, it is probable that, if consti- 

 pation could be reheved as soon as the first symptoms of poison- 

 ing appear, the poison would not result fatally. Many ex- 

 periments have been tried with various remedies, such as barium 

 chloride, caffeine, sodium benzoate, strychnine, potassium 

 permanganate, and atropine; but none of these has proved 

 successful. 



Apparently favorable results have been obtained from hy- 

 podermic injections of physostigmine salicylate, pilocarpine 

 hydrochloride, and strychnine sulphate; but, while more than 

 96 per cent of the cases treated with this remedy recovered, the 

 total number of tests made was not large enough to give absolute 

 proof of the efficacy of the treatment. It is likely, however, that 

 it would be effective if applied very promptly. The formula for 

 an animal weighing 500 to 600 pounds is as follows: Physostig- 

 mine salicylate, i grain; pilocarpine hydrochloride, 2 grains; 

 strychnine sulphate, ^ grain. The formula is to be doubled for 

 an animal weighing 1,000 pounds or more, and the dose is not to 

 be repeated. If the animal shows signs of collapse, hypodermic 

 injections of 20 cubic centimeters of whisky or 50 per cent 

 alcohol may be given. The use of this formula has been tried 

 on the range, as the equipment is not bulky. It may be of 

 practical value where pure-bred cattle are run, but not for grade 

 animals. The Quitman syringe, lo-centimeter size, is the best 

 to use. The needle is inserted in the shoulder. If the animal is 

 down, it should be so placed that the head will lie higher than the 



