80 BULLETIN 365^ U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



in pla nnin g for the remedial work of 1910 it seemed wise to use sub- 

 stances which would probably counteract these most pronounced 

 symptoms. It was at first thought that some combination might 

 be made with barium chlorid, using the barium chlorid for the pur- 

 pose of getting a quick evacuation of the intestines, combining with 

 it caffein or digitalis to relieve the depressing effect which barium 

 has upon the heart and adding strychnin to serve as a respiratory 

 stimulant. Tablets were prepared of various combinations for the 

 summer's work. 



One case of DeVphiniu'm rrhenziesii poisoning was treated with 

 -barium chlorid, caffein, sodio-benzoate, and strychnin nitrate, and 

 died. One case of Delphinmm harbeyi was treated with the same 

 combination and died. It -was not clear, therefore, that there were 

 any beneficial results from this treatment, and as it was found diffi- 

 cult to handle the combination without hot water for solution it was 

 abandoned as impracticable for field use. 



A hypodermic injection was used of physostigmin salicylate, 

 pilocarpin hydrochlorid, and strychnin sulphate. This combina- 

 tion dissolves very readily and can be used in a comparatively small 

 amount of water. The treatment was used in 32 cases of larkspur 

 poisoning with a total of 4 deaths. One fatal case was known to 

 be due to an overdose of strychnin and two received too small a 

 dose of physostigmin. One case died, apparently, in spite of the 

 remedy. Fifteen were allowed to go without treatment, and of 

 these 6 died. This seems to make a good showing for the remedy, 

 although, of course, too much stress must not be put on the statisti- 

 cal results of a comparatively small number of cases. It is pre- 

 sumed that probably a larger proportion of range animals would 

 die than of corral-fed cases, for the latter, even if no remedy was 

 given, are cared for and put in a favorable position for recovery. 



Excluding the animal killed by strychnin and the 2 receiving 

 too small a dose, there was only 1 death in 29 treated cases; in 

 other words, there was 96.54 per cent of recoveries. Wliile this per- 

 centage might not hold in a larger number of cases, there is good 

 reason to believe that most cases of larkspur poisoning may be cured 

 if this treatment can be applied promptly. 



In comparing the effects obtained in the different cases it was 

 found that the best results in animals weighing 500 to 600 pounds 

 were reached by using the following formula of this remedy : 



Physostigmin salicylate 1 grain. 



Pilocarpin hydrochloric! 2 grains. 



Strychnin sulphate J grain. 



As much as 1 grain of strychnin was used in some cases, but 

 it seems probable that this is too much. There was little doubt that 

 an overdose was given to No. 613, a fatal case of Delphinium hojrheyi 



