LARKSPUR POISONING OF LIVE STOCK. 49 



whether it was not partly caused by the peristaltic action resulting 

 from physostigmin salicylate. At 10 p. m. the pulse seemed slightly 

 stronger. He was evidently in pain, as he groaned a great deal of 

 the time. At 11.20 it was found that he had moved himself quite a 

 little distance in the corral and passed a small amount of hard 

 feces. At 11.30 he got upon his feet and walked about the corral. 

 His gait, however, was stiff, the stiffness being particularly notice- 

 able in the hind legs. At 11.44 he passed a considerable amount of 

 feces and acted as though he wished to eat. As he appeared to be 

 very much better at this time, he was left for the night, and was 

 found in good condition at 7 a. m. June 23. He was turned into the 

 pasture at 8.30. In the afternoon of this day he was found in a 

 clump of aspens in the pasture and was driven out. He went about 

 100 yards in a slow trot, going down a side hill, and fell. This was 

 at 3.55. At 4.05 he began to vomit. His pulse was about 85 and 

 weak. At 4.12 respiration had ceased. The pulse was perceptible 

 for about three minutes, stopping at 4.15. The animal was slightly 

 bloated at first and began bloating rapidly when down. A consider- 

 able amount of material from the rumen had been vomited. At the 

 autopsy the heart was found in diastole. The outer walls were 

 slightly inflamed. Both ventricles were dilated and full of blood. 

 The veins under the skin were congested. The nares, larynx, and 

 trachea were full of the material vomited from the stomach, and this 

 material had also extended into the bronchi. The walls of the fourth 

 stomach were greatly inflamed, and the walls of the duodenum, jeju- 

 num, ileum, and rectum were slightly inflamed. A microscopic ex- 

 amination was made of the contents of the stomach, and it was found 

 that Delphiniimh harheyi was present. It seems probable that the 

 animal, after recovering from the poisoning by Delphinium menziesii 

 had commenced to eat the Delj^Mnium harheyi^ which was fairly 

 abundant in the pasture, and that his death was caused by this dose 

 of the tall larkspur. 



Case 609. 



Case 609 was a yearling heifer weighing about 500 pounds, loaned 

 to the station for experimental purposes. Feeding was commenced 

 at 7.05 a. m. on June 26, the material being tops of Delphinimn 

 memiesii, which at this time was mature and included seeds. On 

 June 26 and 27 she ate 43.75 pounds. The material on June 27 

 contained flowers as well as seed. Distinct symptoms of poisoning 

 were observed early on the morning of June 28. Before that it had 

 been thought that she was somewhat uneasy, but the symptoms were 

 not positive. At 4.55 a. m. she got up and walked a few steps, trem- 

 bled, and fell, but at 5 she got upon her feet and after this time was 

 able to stand. She was down only about five minutes. During the 

 26876°— Bull. 365—16 4 



