604 DISEASES OF CATTLE, SHEEP, GOATS, ETC. 



aerial parts of the plant or the bulbs cause the most poisoning. Feed- 

 ing experiments showed conclusively that both the leaves and the 

 bulbs are poisonous, but the bulbs could not be obtained by sheep or 

 other animals except after heavy rainstorms, when the ground was 

 thoroughly softened. During the season of 1900, sheep died from 

 eating this plant at various dates in the months of May and June. 

 The earliest date at which sheep -were poisoned by this plant was 

 April 25. 



A great variation in the death rate was observed in different 

 bands of sheep, and depended apparently upon 'the amount of poison 

 which they had received. The death rate varied from 5 to 48 per 

 cent in different bands. 



From experiments it would appear that the fatal dose of death 

 camas for sheep is between one-half and 1 pound. 



The remedies which were tried in the cases of death camas pois- 

 oning included hypodermic injections of strychnine in one-twen- 

 tieth, one-tenth, and one-fifth grain doses, hypodermic injections of 

 atropine in one-sixtieth and one-thirtieth grain doses, and solutions 

 of potassium permanganate made as previously described. The po- 

 tassium permanganate was given in 4-grain doses as a drench and by 

 means of direct injection through the body wall into the stomach. 

 In a few cases the sheep were allowed to drink the solution. 



The symptoms of poisoning from death camas as observed in a 

 large number of cases -were rather uniform, and the following descrip- 

 tion should enable any sheep raiser to recognize them. A certain un- 

 easiness and irregularity in the movements of the sheep are the first 

 signs of poison. These irregularities become more pronounced and 

 are accompanied by spasms and rapid breathing. Sheep become ex- 

 cited under the influence of the poison, but do not exhibit the condi- 

 tion of frenzy. It was observed that ewes were able to recognize their 

 lambs until within a few minutes before death. The later symptoms 

 are those of complete muscular paralysis, combined with a rapid, shal- 

 low breathing and a frequent, weak pulse. The duration of the dif- 

 ferent symptoms varies according to the amount of the plant which 

 the sheep has eaten. When large quantities are eaten the symptoms 

 succeed one another rapidly, the spasms and labored breathing are 

 very noticeable, and death results in from one to three hours. In 

 other cases like those already described the sheep remain in a condi- 

 tion of complete paralysis for a period of twenty-four to forty-eight 

 hours. In such cases the breathing was so shallow as to be scarcely 

 perceivable. A small percentage of sheep recover after being in this 

 condition for a few hours but very few ever recover after being para- 

 lyzed for twenty-four hours. Postmortem examinations made on 40 

 sheep which had died from eating death camas showed the lungs in 

 all instances to be filled with blood. There were no changes in the 

 brain and no marked congestion, except in a few cases of long dura- 

 tion. In adult sheep the effect upon the digestive organs was not 

 marked. There was also an increased amount of saliva and regurgi- 

 tation through the mouth and nostrils. In lambs these symptoms 

 Were present with the addition of pronounced digestive disturbances. 



