568 CYCLOPEDIA OF LIVE STOCK AND COMPLETE STOCK DOCTOR. 



SyTYvptoms: Those who have hcod a chance to study these cases report 

 that the principal symptoms are stupor, jerking of the muscles, unsteady 

 walk, and a discharge from the eyes. The pupils are frequently dilated, 

 and skin lacks sensation. As the poisonous element in the sorghum 

 plant is prussic acid, death results very rapidly and treatment for this 

 reason is very unsatisfactory. 



Prevention: Sorghum poisoning is most liable to occur when stock is 

 first turned into a new field. Hence the trouble can usually be avoided 

 by first putting in one animal for a few hours. If no harm is noticed 

 then the entire herd can be turned in with safety. 



Jointed Rush, Pine Top, Colt's Tail, or Equisetum: This is a very 

 common weed, growing especially on damp, sandy or gravelly soils. It 

 is probable that stock is poisoned from eating hay containing this plant 

 much oftener than supposed. Horees are about the only animals poi- 

 soned by this plant. The younger ones seem to be more susceptible to it 

 than the older ones. Cattle are not poisoned by it at all. However, this 

 may be because they do not eat it. 



^Symptoms: The horse becomes unthrifty and very weak, with imper- 

 fect control of the hind legs. The appetite may be good, but the horse 

 seems to get no nourishment from what it eats. He refuses to lie down 

 until very late in the history of the case, when he struggles a great deal, 

 and finally dies, apparently worn out from exhaustion. The pulse is 

 slower than normal until very late in the case, when the patient's strug- 

 gling causes it to rise. Old horses are less susceptible to this form of pois- 

 oning than younger ones. Horses having good grain feed seem to resist 

 longer than those that are insufficiently fed. The poisonous effects of the 

 plant seem to be confined entirely to the dry state ; that is, stock rarely eat 

 it while it is gromng in pastures. For this reason it is troublesome only 

 when it gets in the hay. 



Treatment: Administer a cathartic, such as epsom salts or raw linseed 

 oil. Discontinue using hay that contains the plant. 



Wild Cherry Leaves: There are several varieties of wild cherries that 

 cause stock poisoning, the most common being choke cherries and the 

 common black cherries. The poisonous principle in wild cherry leaves 

 is due, as in the above, to the presence of prussic acid. The young sprouts 

 that come up around the tree seem to contain the greatest amount of this 

 poison. The leaves are less poisonous when wilted than when green, and 

 when entirely dry seem to be perfectly harmless. For this reason they 

 seldom give any trouble in the hay. 



Symptoms: The symptoms of wild cherry poisoning are practically 

 the same as for other kinds of poisoning, where the trouble is the pres- 

 ence of prussic acid. There is a very weak pulse, difficult breathing, 

 frightened expression to the eyes, with very prominent eye-balls, rapid 

 breathing, wth sudden death from paralysis of the respiratory organs. 

 The animal's breath generally has a noticeable peach odor. 



Treatment: If the animai has eaten a large quantity of the leaves, 

 treatment is almost useless. It may be well to administer a cathartic as 

 mentioned in the above treatment. 



Loco Poisoning ( Woolly Loco, Stemless Loco) : Under this class of 

 poisoning, we have two separate and distinct species. The Woolly Loco, 

 a plant that is found growing extensively over the northwestern plains 

 v^Duntry, is silvery white in color, grows 8 to 10 inches high, with an 

 abundance of soft foliage springing out in a cluster from a short central 



