will be in order. It is useless to submit specimens if the entire crop 

 has been consumed. The College of Agriculture of the University 

 of California is prepared to analyze specimens on certain conditions. 

 Samples should be accompanied by a full description so that the 

 University may judge whether the circumstances justify the service. 

 Specimen plants for analysis should be selected from several different 

 places in the field, as all of the plants may not contain the poison. 

 Collect only the leaves and green stalks, wrap them tightly in paper, 

 pack in a tight tin box, and forward promptly by parcel post or 

 prepaid express. 



Precautions by Which to Avoid Conditions Under Which Poison- 

 ing May Occur. The forage is not likely to prove dangerous when 

 grown with an ample supply of moisture. No losses have been re- 

 ported from feeding grain heads, silage, dry fodder, or stover. 



If it becomes necessary to pasture stock on sorghums which are 

 suspected to be in the dangerous stage, the crop had better be cut 

 and air-dried before being fed to stock, or it may be made into silage. 

 Another plan is to test it first by turning in an animal of inferior 

 value. If it refuses to eat, it is probable that the plants are not 

 safe. Hungry stock are, of course, much more liable to be fatally 

 poisoned than those given some feed previous to turning into the field. 



The fact that losses have occurred does not justify the con- 

 demnation of the sorghums as a stock food. Further losses may be 

 avoided by a little care. No sorghum fodder should be destroyed, 

 even if proved to contain prussic acid, since further growth and 

 drying may render the vegetation harmless, and it can at any rate 

 be rendered harmless by being made into hay or silage. 



Treatment. The rapid action of prussic acid often gives no time 

 for treatment, but in cases of poisoning due to the presence of prussic 

 acid in the forage the symptoms do not develop so quickly as with 

 the free acid and efforts to relieve the animals may be of some value. 

 Cattle or sheep which are down in the hot sun should be protected 

 by an improvised shade. If the ground is sloping, the head should 

 be turned up hill, care being taken not to interfere in any way with 

 respiration. When bloating occurs, it should be relieved by punctur- 

 ing the paunch with a trocar and canula, or a sharp knife, thrust 

 through the left side at a point a hand's breadth in front of the 

 hip bone. 



The subcutaneous administration of atropine sulphate and other 

 stimulants in doses suited to the size and species of the animal is 

 recommended. Inhalations of ammonia may also be used for the 

 same purpose. 



Hydrogen peroxide has been recommended by toxicologists as an 



