WESTERN SNEEZEWEED AS A POISONOUS PLANT. 



35 



The difference in the toxicity of the different parts of the plant 

 therefore is negligible; also the comparison just mentioned shows 

 that there is practically no difference between the radical leaves and 

 stem leaves. 



EFFECT OF DRYING ON TOXICITY OF LEAVES. 



A few feedings were made to determine whether drying of the 

 leaves caused any loss of toxicity. Table 11 shows the results. 



Table 11. — Summary of forced feeding of dry leaves. 



Animal. 



1916 

 Sheep 376 



1917 



Sheep 409 



Sheep 439 



Sheep 422 



Days 

 fed. 



Num- 

 ber of 

 feed- 





ings. 



Days. 

 1 



2 



1 

 4 

 5 



1 

 3 



5 



Quantity fed per 

 hundredweight 

 of animal (esti- 

 mated as green 

 plant). 



Total. 



Pounds. 

 3.475 



2.301 

 11. 305 

 10. 776 



Daily 

 average. 



Pounds. 

 3.475 



2.301 

 2.826 

 2.155 



Result. 



Symptoms. 



Do. 



Sick. 

 Symptoms. 



Averaging the two cases fed in one day, the toxic dose of dry leaves 

 in terms of green plant is 2.888 pounds. Averaging the two cases 

 given prolonged feeding, 2.49 pounds daily for 4| days produced 

 sickness. 



As it is shown in Table 6 that the toxic dose of green leaves 

 given in one day is 2.494 pounds, and in Table 8 that 1.281 pounds 

 of green plant given for 4 \ days produce sickness, it appears that 

 the dry plant given by forced feedings is not so toxic as the green 

 plant. 



The prolonged feedings of the dry plant, however, gave somewhat 

 different results. The cases are listed in Table 12: 



Table 12. — Summary of prolonged feedings of dry leaves. 



Animal. 





Quantity 



per nun- 





dredweight of 





animal to pro- 



Days 



duce sickness. 



before 





sick. 









Total. 



Daily 

 average. 



Days. 



Pounds. 



Pounds. 



15 



34. 011 



2.267 



18 



21. 712 



1.206 



14 



43. 043 



3.074 



15 



28. 467 



1.898 



21 



44. 094 



2.1 



16 



34.45 



2.15 



16.5 



34. 296 



2.116 



Result. 



1916 



Sheep 392 



Sheep 395 



Sheep 374 



Sheep 375 



1918 



Sheep471 



Sheep472 



Average 



Very sick. 

 Symptoms. 

 Very sick. 

 Sick. 



Symptoms. 

 Sick. 



