30 



BULLETIN 125, TJ. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



corpuscles, and all the phenomena of a congestion or an acute cr subacute inflamma- 

 tion. Occasional ruptures of the capillary vessels were noted, forming poollike capil- 

 lary hemorrhages. 



The distention of the capillaries in some instances had brought about cloudy swell- 

 ing, or the early stage of degeneration of the renal epithelium, which in some instances 

 had become desquamated. The supporting or interstitial tissue was not affected. 



In the lung the high capillary pressure is even more manifest than in the kidney, 

 owing to the presence of a greater number of capillaries. The variations were from 

 moderate fullness to overdistention, followed by inflammation in the more acute 

 cases, resulting in localized areas of oedema where the serum had oozed out and filled 

 one or more lobules of the lung. 



In spite of the fact that the fullness, congestion, and inflammation were more marked 

 in the lung than in the kidneys, the degenerative changes and the desquamation of 

 the pulmonary epithelium were less evident and not as frequent, owing to the greater 

 resistance of the pulmonary cells. While no interstitial changes were present in 

 the kidney, slight interstitial changes in the lungs were present in the peribronchial 

 areas in some of the cases. In others, the interstitial changes were also present in 

 the visceral pleura. 



In the liver the vascular changes were either entirely absent or so slight as not to 

 deserve any mention, but the epithelial changes were quite marked, owing to the 

 more delicate composition of the cytoplasm. The absence of vascular changes indi- 

 cates that the elimination by this organ is but very slight and that the metabolic 

 function is quite able to take care of any of the irritant products that may have reached 

 the liver. 



In the intestine the vascular changes are likewise very slight. 



TOXIC AND LETHAL DOSE OF ZYGADENUS VENENOSUS FOR SHEEP. 



The very large number of feeding experiments with sheep at Grey- 

 cliff made it possible to determine the toxic and lethal dose with con- 

 siderable accuracy. Inasmuch as very little has been known in 

 regard to the toxic dose of Zygadenus for sheep, the results of these 

 cases are especially interesting. Table II summarizes the nonfatal 

 cases, showing their number and the quantities of the plant neces- 

 sary to produce illness. 



Table II. — Nonfatal cases of poisoning of sheep by Zygadenus venenosus at Grey cliff, 

 Mont., in 1912, 1913, and 1914- 



Feeding experiments. 



Number 

 of cases. 



Quantity 



lsed per 100 

 animal. 



pounds of 





Maximum. 



Minimum. 



Average. 



Season of 1912: 



Drenched with leaves, stems, and fruit 



2 

 1 

 2 

 5 



4 

 8 

 3 

 1 

 1 

 G 

 2 

 2 

 1 

 3 



Pounds. 

 1.324 



Pounds. 

 0.79 



Pounds. 

 1. 057 





.33 





.771 

 .264 



2.1 

 .747 

 .612 



.33 

 .141 



.893 

 .385 



.517 



.55 



Drenched with fruit 



.228 



Season of 1913: 



1.607 





. 5746 





. 5746 













.3S9 





4.6 



.496 

 7. 188 

 5.597 



.241 



1.728 



.495 

 3.155 



2. 7513 





. 4955 





5. 1715 





5. 597 



Fed on seeds 



.092 



.1613 



