POISONS AND THEIR ANTIDOTES. 569 



stem, close to the ground. The flowers are pea-shaped, and usually pur- 

 ple. The second species, known as the Stemless Loco, is found in prac- 

 tically the same section of the country that the Woolly Loco is found. 

 In appearance the two plants are very different. In the latter, the leaf- 

 lets are longer and the seed has but one cell instead of two. It grows very 

 erect with few branches. 



Symptoms: The symptoms from poisoning by either one of the above 

 species are practically the same. The effect of this poisoning is quite 

 slow in making its appearance. In fact, the animal has acquired the 

 habit for the weed before any marked symptoms appear. During the 

 first stage of Loco poisoning, the horse seems to be a little out of balance 

 mentally, and the eyesight shows symptoms of being impaired. After a 

 while the horse becomes so fond of this plant that he seems to prefer it 

 to other food which he might easily obUiin. Care must always be exer- 

 cised in turning horses into a poor pasture that contains this weed. It is 

 generally when grass is short that the stock get to eating it. The second 

 stage in the disease is characterized by a long period of general wasting 

 away, both in strength and flesh, the animal becoming very thin and 

 weak, the hair is dull, and the expression is one of feebleness. The total 

 period of illness may last from a few months to two years. 



Treatm^ent : As yet there is no medicinal treatment that gives satisfac- 

 tion. The only practical and satisfactory treatment is to remove the 

 affected animal from the pastures containing the plant. Generally this 

 is sufficient. However, if the animal has nm down in flesh very much 

 it may be necessary to give a tonic. 



Rattle Box (Crofalaria Sagittalis) : This is an annual, growing 3 to 

 8 inches high. The plant itself is hairy, the leaves are oval or lance 

 shaped with very short stems. The flowers resemble those of the common 

 pea; the pods are very dark in color or nearly black, and about an inch in 

 length. When they become dry the seeds seem to loosen so that they 

 rattle when shaken. It is from this characteristic that the plant gets its 

 name. This plant grows in damp, sandy soils, and over a very large sec- 

 tion of the country, especially along the Missouri River. Some seasons it 

 causes a very serious loss. The poisonous principle has not been found 

 as yet but it is apparently contained in both the seeds and the leaves. 

 The greatest loss seems to occur when hay containing it is fed to the 

 stock. Seldom giving any trouble in the green state, as it is found in 

 pastures. 



SymptoTYis: The symptoms of poisoning from this plant are rather 

 slow in developing, death coming only after several weeks of gradual de- 

 cline. The only two prominent symptoms to be observed are sleepiness 

 and loud and difficult breathing. 



Treatment: The treatment for poisoning from this plant is very un- 

 satisfactory, aside from removing the cause, either by eliminating the 

 plants from the pasture or hayfield, or by feeding hay that is known not 

 to contain it. In handling cases of this kind it is advisable to give the 

 horse a; good tonic. 



Wafer Hemlock, Wild Hemlock, Snake Weed, or Spotted Parsley : This 

 plant is an erect perennial growing 3 to 6 feet high. The stem is hollow, 

 with numerous branches and rather stiff or rigid. The flowers are white, 

 growing in clusters. This plant is found chiefly on damp soils all the 

 way from the Atlantic Coast to the Rocky Mountains. The poisonous 

 principle seems to be an oily fluid which is found mostly in the roots, but 



