PLANTS POISONOUS TO STOCK. 239 



time and were similarly affected, but less severely. In these cases 

 morphine was tried with better success. The lambs, however, died from 

 the poisonous properties contained in the milk of the mother. 



The general symptoms of loco disease are quite familiar to all stock 

 raisers. Perhaps the most characteristic are those of cerebral origin, and 

 are shown in peculiarities of gait and action, w^hich may be compared to 

 a drunken condition. The brain disturbances may consist in impairment 

 of the special senses or in irregular motor impulses, which produce inco- 

 herent muscular action. In some cases the animal becomes blind. More 

 frequently the animal makes errors in judgment of the size and distance 

 of objects. These visual disturbances are often quite ludicrous. The 

 animal often takes fright, apparently at imaginary objects, or at objects 

 which under ordinary circumstances would cause no alarm. Locoed 

 horses are somewhat dangerous for driving purposes on account of their 

 tendency to run away. Such horses are frequently attacked with kicking 

 fits without any apparent cause. The sense of hearing is often affected, 

 and the response to sounds is irregular and out of proportion to the 

 volume and character of the sound. Irregularities in muscular move- 

 ments of sheep may assume a variety of forms. The animal may simj)ly 

 carry its head in an extended or otherwise unnatural condition. In some 

 cases the back is arched. Trembling is a characteristic symptom. In 

 locoed horses a great difficulty is sometimes experienced in persuading 

 them to go backward. Locoed sheep are exceedingly difficult to manage. 

 The different members of the flock may suddenly take a notion to run 

 away in different directions, with the result that it is almost impossible 

 for the shepherd to prevent their becoming separated. In cattle the 

 disease appears to be rare, although symptoms, so far as observed, 

 are essentially the same as those in sheep and horses. Occasionally 

 locoed cattle manifest dangerous symptoms, and attack men and other 

 animals. 



In chronic cases of loco the animal gradually becomes more emaciated 

 and crazy. In sheep the fleece may be shed in patches or as a whole. 

 The animal becomes unable to care for itself, and is apt to fall into the 

 water while attempting to drink. Fits of trembling are of frequent 

 occurrence, and the animal finally dies of inadequate nutrition and total 

 exhaustion. In chronic cases of loco disease in horses the animal is 

 usually left to its own resources on the range. During the later stages 

 it may remain for weeks at a time upon a small area of ground without 

 taking water. Dr. Wilcox saw a number of such cases in horses that 

 were almost unable to walk. Under such circumstances the animals 

 seldom or never lie down. One horse which was seen remained for a 

 period of two weeks, in 1897, upon a piece of ground about 150 feet 

 square. During this time the horse had no water. 



