DISEASES OF ANIMALS 



169 



Lupines are frequently called "blue 

 beans," or "blue peas," by stockmen and 



Fig. 125 — ACONITE 



may be recognized by the striking spikes 

 of blue, pea-like flowers and long 



kinds of domestic animals in the west- 

 ern states and under ordinary circum- 

 stances are perfectly harmless, and in- 

 deed, a valuable forage. Occasionally 

 serious losses from poisoning occur from 

 these plants, especially if they were har- 

 vested at the time when the seeds were 

 nearly mature. The poisoning element 

 appears to be contained chiefly in the 



Ergot i s a parasitic fungus which in- 

 fests rye, rye grass, blue joint and va- 

 rious other grasses. It may be recog- 

 nized as black or brown spurs in the 

 heads of infested grasses, these spurs 

 often being mistaken by stockmen for 

 the seed of the grasses. Ergot some- 



Fig. 127 ERGOT IN WILD RYE-GRASS 



Fig. 126 LUPINE 



stemmed leaves with seven to 10 leaflets 

 which arise from a common point. Lu- 

 pines are largely used as hay for all 



times causes abortion, paralysis of the 

 muscles, especially of the head and neck, 

 and if eaten in large quantities causes 

 a sloughing of a ring of tissue around 

 the leg near the crown of the hoof. 



Treatment for plant poisoning—Ac- 

 cording to our experiments in Montana, 

 which have been corroborated by Glover 

 in Colorado and other investigators, one 

 of the most effective and universally 

 applicable remedies for poisonous plants 

 is potassium permanganate, which may 

 be combined with an acid salt, such as 

 sulphate of aluminum. The remedy 

 may be dissolved in water and given as 

 a drench. Adult sheep may be given 

 5 to 10 grains; horses, 20 grains, cat- 

 tle 30 to 50 grains. Young animals 

 should receive doses proportionately 

 smaller. The effect of potassium per- 

 manganate is to destroy the active poi- 

 sonous principles in the stomach before 

 they have been absorbed and, therefore, 

 before they have had any effect upon the 

 animals. It is not a physiological anti- 

 dote and does not antagonize the symp- 

 toms which are produced by plant 

 poisons. It simply oxidizes the poison 

 still remaining in the stomach and pre- 

 vents it being absorbed into the blood. 

 For combating symptoms which have al- 

 ready appeared, various other drugs may 

 be used, according to the symptoms pres- 



