LOCOWEED DISEASE OF SHEEP 397 



not present in the sheep among which it was especially looked for; these 

 sheep (Cases 8, 9 and 11), preferring other food, (alfalfa), and requiring 

 to be partially starved in order to make them eat locoweed with any 

 freedom. 



Of other queer nervous and mental symptoms, commonly ascribed to 

 loco, there was absolutely no trace in the sheep under consideration, except 

 in one sheep with a brain (subdural) abscess. 



The anatomical findings, like the clinical study, furnished nothing that 

 helped to establish loco disease as a separate and independent disease. In 

 all of the sheep examine^ there were evidences of more or less severe star- 

 vation. In fourteen cases the " fringed tape worm" {Thysanosonia actin- 

 ioides) was found, and in two others its effects were seen.* It caused defi- 

 nite liver lesions in nine instances, of which at least two cases were severe. 

 (Cases No. 4 and No. 24.) Sarcosporidiosis occurred in eight cases out of 

 the nine which were studied microscopically. 



Cijsticercus tenuicollis occurred certainly five times, and possibly more 

 often. 



The lung worm was found three times, the stomach worm seven times. 

 Both were probably overlooked more than once. Pneumonia accompanied 

 the presence of the lung worm once or twice. Small bronchiectatic abscesses 

 in the lung occurred twdce. An extradural abscess at the base of the brain 

 was found in Case No. 1; in two instances (Cases Nos. 8 and 20) the 

 remains of an embryo, supposed to be Cysticercus tenuicollis was found on 

 the epicardium ; an encapsulated focus of inflammation of unknown origin, 

 possibly tuberculous was found in the kidney in one case (No. 3) ; hyper- 

 plasia of the lymph glands with dilated central sinuses was observed fre- 

 quently and there seemed to be leukocytosis in two instances (Cases 2 and 

 23). Sheep fly larvae were found six times, none of the infections being 

 severe. 



Not one of the conditions observed at autopsy could conceivably be due 

 to locoweed poisoning, with the exception of malnutrition. But it is far 

 from certain that the weed was in any degree responsible for the emaciated 

 condition of the sheep. There are other causes at hand to account for 

 the emaciation and weakness. These causes are sufficient, in and of them- 

 selves, to account almost entirely, if not entirely, for the diseases among 

 the sheep examined and also for the diseases among a very large number 

 of sheep in Montana. It is extremely important to understand that the 

 diseases encountered can be clearly explained without any reference to the 

 locoweed whatever, and that the same diseases are known in parts of the 

 world where locoweed does not grow. 



