232 POISONING. 



to thousands. The first signs of poisoning are sHght general stiffness 

 and straddling gait, especially of the hind legs. The stiffness becomes 

 more and more pronounced, until walking is difficult and evidently painful. 

 Soon there are manifested various involuntary twitchings of the muscles 

 of the legs and sides of the body, and loss of control or co-ordination of 

 the muscles. Ordinarily there is no increase in the quantity of the saliva, 

 no dribbling of saliva from the mouth, no champing of the jaws or at- 

 tempts at swallowing. The sheep manifest none of the mental disturb- 

 ances frequently seen in cases of poisoning from other sources, as for 

 example loco-weed and lupine. There is no impairment of the special 

 senses. The sheep seem to hear and see as well and as correctly as under 

 normal conditions of health. 



No indications of any disturbances of the digestive functions are to be 

 seen. The appetite remains good, and the sheep eat up to the very last. 

 They were observed eating industriously during the intervals between the 

 attacks of spasms which they have during the last stages. 



At first the frequency of the pulse and of the respiratory movements 

 is lessened and the temperature is lowered. The pulse remains very 

 weak, but in the later stages becomes very rapid, in some cases 130 per 

 minute. Toward the last also the respiration is very shallow and rapid. 

 During the final convulsions the respiration is sometimes 120 per minute, 

 but so shallow that the air is simply pumped up and down the windpipe. 

 The air in the lungs is therefore not renewed, and the animal dies by 

 asphyxia or suffocation. 



So long as the sheep can stand on its feet, or walk, it keeps up with 

 the flock as nearly as possible. The exercise, however, excites it, makes 

 its respiration more rapid, and it has frequently to lie down for a moment 

 and then get up and hobble along after the flock. The worst cases can 

 thus easily be detected, since they straggle behind the rest of the flock. 



The later stages follow rather rapidly. The involuntary movements 

 become more frequent and more severe. All four legs tremble and shake 

 violently. In fact, all the muscles of the body contract spasmodically until 

 the animal totters over on its side and dies in the most violent spasms. 



Larkspur has the effect of arresting the heart's action and respiration 

 and of paralysing the spinal cord. 



Treatment. Place the animal by itself in a cool, quiet, shaded place 

 and avoid all excitement. Of the drugs tested, atropine sulphate dis- 

 solved in camphor water has given the best results. Wilcox (Bull. 15, 

 Montana Ex. Station) recommends for sheep from -j^^^ to js grain in the 

 earlier, and J to J grain in the later convulsive stages. Cattle require 

 from four to five times these doses. Inhalations of ammonia vapour, 

 and small doses of alcohol and ether, are also useful. 



In other cases very good results have been obtained from giving 



