268 



PRINCIPAL STOCK-POISONING PLANTS 



conclusively that lupine hay is very dangerous to stock if it is 

 cut when the pods are fully developed and filled with ripe seed. 

 Sheep are especially fond of the green pods of lupine, which, 

 like the fruit of many leguminous plants, have a sweet taste. 

 Bloating may result from eating very large quantities of the 

 green plant, particularly when it is wet. 



Amount Required to Cause Death. — The following experi- 

 ment is on record showing the amount of lupine required to 

 cause fatal poisoning. Two sheep were each fed 150 medium- 

 sized lupine pods containing nearly ripe seeds. They ate the 

 pods readily, and both showed violent S3nnptoms of poisoning 

 within 45 minutes after eating. Both animals died one hour 

 later. Marsh and Clawson report that i| pounds of fully de- 

 veloped fruit (pods and seed) produced death in a 100-pound 

 sheep. Of empty pods about 3.4 pounds were required to pro- 

 duce similar results.^ 



Symptoms of Poisoning. — Animals poisoned by lupine be- 

 come crazed, move 

 about with an irreg- 

 ular, staggering gait, 

 froth at the mouth, 

 and butt at any object 

 in their way (Fig. 92). 

 Spasms and falling fits 

 are also characteristic 

 symptoms. The flow 

 of urine is always 

 much increased, and 

 it may contain blood. 

 It sometimes happens 

 that animals poisoned 

 by lupine do not die 



until several days after poisoning occurs, the s5rmptoms of 

 the poisoning being less violent Post-mortem examinations 

 show that the effects of lupine poison on the animal organism 



^ Marsh, C. D., Clawson, A. B., and Marsh, H., "Lupines as Poisonous Plants." 

 U. S. Deot. of Agr. Bui. 405, pp. 32 S3- iQi^. 



(.Bureau of Animal Industry.) 



Fig. 92. — sheep POISONED BY LUPINE BECOME 

 CRAZED AND BUTT THEIR HEADS AT ANY 

 OBJECT IN THEIR WAY. 



