PEA FAMILY. 43 



times in milder cases the animals live four or five days 

 In these cases the respiration becomes slow and laboured, 

 the pulse is weak and the animals fall into a state of coma. 



In horses there are certain special symptoms: dullness, 

 contractions of the surface muscles, intestinal disturb- 

 ances, usually manifesting themselves in constipation, but 

 sometimes in diarrhoea. There is also a tendency to lift 

 the forefoot high in walking. 



The results of the search for antidotes have not been 



very satisfactory. Permanganate of potash has been 



recommended, but is useless unless given very 



Treatment 



early in the course of the attack. Vinegar and 



dilute sulphuric acid are also spoken of as chemical anti- 

 dotes. Hypodermic injections of such sedatives as mor- 

 phin or chloral hydrate are useful in controlling the con- 

 vulsions. 



According to Marsh, Clawson and Marsh: "There 

 seems to be little doubt that, as in Zygadenus poisoning, 

 if sodium bicarbonate can be administered at intervals 

 frequent enough to catch the toxic principle as it enters 

 the fourth stomach, recovery may be aided. This is of 

 considerable theoretical interest, and the method might 

 be used in order to save an especially valuable animal, 

 but of course range animals cannot be treated in this 

 way." 



In Europe a species of Lupine, Lu.pinus luteus, has 

 caused trouble, producing a disease called Lupinosis. In- 

 Lupinosis ves tig a tion shows this plant to be much poorer 

 in alkaloids than our American species, and the 

 symptoms of Lupinosis differ from those described above. 

 There is loss of appetite, weakness and fever in the early 

 stages. Acute atrophy of the liver is usual, giving rise 

 to a yellow colour in the conjunctiva, mucous membranes 



