Loco Poisoning. Oxytropis Lamberti. 135 



the glosso-pharyiigeal, the difficult}^ of swallowing is a prominent 

 feature, and when the spinal accessor}', spasm or paralysis of the 

 neck. In the worst cases deatli supervenes early, by reason of 

 interference with the respiratory and cardiac functions. 



The treaUncni of these affections is usually verj' unsatisfactory, 

 though in meat producing animals it may sometimes be desirable 

 to preserve them in preparation for the butcher. Rest, in hyper- 

 semic cases, cold to the liead and purgatives, and in those in which 

 fever is absent, small do.ses of nerve stimulants (strychnia) and 

 tonics (phosphorus, phosphates, ammonia-sulphate of copper, 

 zinc sulphate, silver nitrate) may be tried. A course of ar.senic 

 and carefully regulated electrical stimuli may at times give good 

 results. 



LOCO POISONING. OXYTROPIS LAMBP:rTI. ASTRA- 

 GALUS MOLLISSIMUS. 



Astragalus Hornii : A. Leiitiginosns : A. Mollissimus : Oxytropis Lam- 

 berti : O. Multifloris : O. Deflexa : Sophora Serecia : Malvastrum Coccinium : 

 Corydalis Aurea. In dry regions. Cause, a psychosis. Emaciation. Lassi- 

 tude. Impaired sight. Illusions. Vice. Refuses other food. Contradic- 

 tory views. Experiments by Dr. Day. 



The term loco is of Spanish origin and has come to us through 

 the Spanish speaking residents on the cattle raising plains and 

 the Pacific Coast. The word is defined to mean mad, crazy, 

 foolish. It has been applied indiscriminately to a disease in .stock 

 manifested by these symptoms, and to a variety of leguminous 

 plants, found growing on the western lands and supposed to cause 

 the di.sease in question. The plants complained of are Astragalus 

 Hornii, and A. Lentiginosus (Griesbach) in California, A. 

 Mollissimus (Torrey) and Oxytropis Lamberti (Purshiana) in 

 Colorado and New Mexico. Other allied species, and like these 

 found also in the other Rocky Mountain States, Sophora Serecia, 

 Oxytropis Multifloris, O. Deflexa, Malvastrum Coccinium, and 

 Corydalis Aurea var. Occidentalis have been less confidently 

 charged with producing the disease. 



The.se plants grow on poor, dr}', .sandy or gravelh' soils, and 

 having great power of resisting drought, are often in fair growth, 



