POISONING 575 



mencing in different parts of the body. The tips of the ears, the 

 end of the tail, and even the lower portion of the legs begin to show 

 small red spots, which later turn black and die. The signs of 

 gangrene are loss of heat, loss of sensation, and development of a 

 black discoloration. Large parts of the ear and the end of the tail 

 finally slough and drop off. Large areas in other parts of the body 

 also slough out and leave deep cavities. 



With further progress of the disease the mouth and gums 

 become sore, the eyes are often inflamed, and the animal shows a 

 loss of appetite and decrease in weight. Unless the condition is 

 recognized the animal may continue to lose vitahty and strength 

 and finally die. 



Treatment. — The development of the above symptoms in a 

 number of animals in a herd, and especially the gangrene, should 

 lead to a suspicion of ergot-poisoning, and a careful examination 

 of the food supply should be made to determine whether or not 

 fungus-infected straw has been fed. If so, it should at once be 

 removed from the diet. The animals should be kept for several 

 days in warm quarters, as the weakened tissues are very easily 

 frozen, and if the animal be exposed to the cold the entire ear and 

 tail may be so frozen as to afterward slough off. 



To overcome the effects of the poison already in the system, 

 and also to aid in its elimination from the body, iodid of potassium 

 is the most 'effective agent. This may be given in doses of 10 to 

 15 gr., in the slop, twice a day. 



Cotton-seed Poisoning. — In the feeding of hogs with cotton-seed 

 meal and other cotton-seed products some widely differing results 

 are seen. It appears in some cases that the cotton-seed can be fed 

 without producing any harm. In other instances it produces 

 quite severe symptoms of poisoning and even death. Many inves- 

 tigations have been made by the United States Bureau of Animal 

 Industry in this connection, and it has been found that the toxic 

 action of the cotton-seed is probably due to a poisonous acid sub- 

 stance which has been named pyrophosphoric acid. 



This poisoning is liable to occur whether the cotton-seed be 

 fed ground, boiled, or in the form of droppings from cattle. The 

 danger is much less in those cases where the meal is eaten in the 

 form of cattle droppings, but even in these cases poisoning may at 



