38 BULLETIN 947, IT. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



It seems clear that if the daily feeding is less than 1.5 pounds, the 

 toxic substance is eliminated to such an extent that no injurious 

 effect follows. If, however, the daily ration is between this limit 

 and a toxic dose of one day's feeding, the effect of the plant accu- 

 mulates. It should be added that there is every reason to think, as 

 stated elsewhere, that the poisonous principle of H. Jioopesii produces 

 a permanent effect upon the animal, and, when it is stated that the 

 poisonous substance is eliminated, it is by no means certain that some 

 effect has not been produced. This has a distinct bearing on range 

 poisoning, for it is probable that sheep that feed freely upon the range 

 show the effect of eating H. Jioopesii only after many days or perhaps 

 weeks of feeding. 



REMEDIES. 



Three classes of remedies were tried: 



1. On the assumption that increase of the processes of elimination 

 would be of assistance in reducing the effects of the Helenium hoopesii 

 poisoning, a number of substances were used, including Epsom salt 

 and Epsom salt combined with strychnin, linseed oil, and linseed oil 

 combined with glycerin, linseed oil combined with turpentine and 

 strychnin, sodium cacodylate, paraffin oil, and paraffin oil combined 

 with strychnin. Most of the animals treated with these agents 

 showed improvement. It was not clear, however, that the improve- 

 ment was due to the remedy. 



2. It having been found by chemical examination that the toxic 

 agent of H. Jioopesii is a glucosid, and that this is precipitated 

 from the plant juice by tannic acid, tannic acid was used experi- 

 mentally as a preventive of poisoning. Two sheep (Nos. 486 and 506) 

 were fed upon the plant and received daily a drench of tannic acid. 

 No. 486 was fed upon the radical leaves from June 13 to July 5. 

 From June 18 to July 10 it received twice daily a drench containing 

 one-half gram of tannic acid. On June 28, or the sixteenth day of 

 feeding, the sheep started spewing. During the remainder of the 

 experiment the sheep continued to spew and showed other symptoms 

 of //. Jioopesii poisoning. This sheep was poisoned in 16 days on 

 44.9 pounds, or an average of 2.8 pounds per day. Sheep 506 was 

 fed upon radical leaves from June 13 to July 15. Until June 20 it 

 ate very little of the plant, but at that time began to eat more freely. 

 From June 1 8 to July 1 5 she was drenched twice daily with 1 gram of 

 tannic acid in solution. The animal showed positive symptoms of 

 poisoning in 26 days after eating 56 pounds, or a daily average of 

 2.16 pounds. Feeding was continued for 7 days following the symp- 

 toms, and the tannic-acid treatment for a considerable time longer. 

 In these two cases the tannic acid appeared to have no beneficial 

 effect. 



