STAGGER GRASS AS A POISONOUS PLANT. 5 



Alsberg, 1912, writing of "' The Toxic Action of Ainiamthium mus- 

 cmtoxicuiri'^^'' says : 



This liliaceous plant contains a solid alkaloid which has not been ohtained 

 in crystalline form. The alkaloid is of extreme toxicity, producing death from 

 respiratory paralysis. The effect on the circulation is less prominent than that 

 ox* the respiratory center. Striped muscle is affected in such a way that fatigue, 

 both by direct and indirect stimulation, is very much more rapid than nor- 

 mally. Relaxation is somewhat delayed, but no distinct veratrine effect was 

 obtained, though the alkaloid in some respects resembles veratrine chemically. 



Alsberg, 1914, says: "From a member of a closely related genus 

 Amianthimn tivusccetoxicmn^ a similar active principle was obtained 

 in an impure state. Apparently many of the species of this group of 

 lilies contain ' veratrine ' alkaloids or alkaloids related to it." 



A¥hile the plant is mentioned by other authors as "fly poison" or 

 " crow poison," the few statements given above seem to comprise all 

 ^that has been written of its poisonous properties. 



EXPERIMENTAL FEEDING OF THE PLANT. 



A number of experiments of feeding the plant to both cattle and 

 sheep were made, a summary of which is given in the following table. 

 The plant material used was obtained from Wilmington, N. C. 



Table 1. — Summary of feeding experiments toith Chrospernia musccetoxicum. 



Animal. 



Experimental feeding. 



Severity of 

 illness. 



Remedy. 





Designation. 



i 



Date. 



1 

 ft 



-a 

 S 



ft BC 



•^"i-i, 

 ■^ s 3 



o w o 



ft 



Part of plant fed. 



Result. 



Cattle No 122 



Lhs. 



108 

 108 



108 

 108 

 108 

 108 



240 



240 



1911. 

 Apr. 13.. 

 Apr. 14.. 



Apr. 18.. 

 Apr. 19.. 



May 4. . . 

 May 5... 



1914. 

 Mar. 23.. 

 Apr. 3... 



Us. 



0. 1540 

 .0990 



.0880 

 .0220 

 .0836 

 .1914 



.545 

 .220 



Per 

 1,000 

 lbs. 

 1.43 

 . 91564 



.814 

 2024 

 .77 

 1.77 



2.261 

 .917 



Leaves 





• 





Do 



do 



Siclj for 

 sorae horn's 



None 



Recovery. 



Do 



Roots 



Do ,.-. 



do 



Leaves 



Slightly sick 

 do 



None 



do 



Do. 



Do 



Do. 



Do . 



do 



Slightly sick 

 May 6. 



Very sick 



Salivated 



Caffeine so- 

 dioben- 

 zoate. 



None 



do 



Do 



Cattle No. 663.. 

 Do 



do 



Bulbs; fed in 

 grain. 



Do. 











Sheep No. 228.. 



72 

 72 . 



72 

 98.5 



99 



76 



(78.5 

 \ to 

 |76.5 



Mar. 24.. 

 Mar. 25.. 



Apr. 3, 4. 



May 26.. 



May 26.. 

 May 27.. 



[May 27.. 



.044 

 .066 



.331 

 .110 



. 055 

 .251 



.172 



Per 

 100 

 lbs. 

 .081 

 .092 



.460 

 .112 



.056 

 .330 



.219 



Leaves; fed in rye. 

 Leaves; forced 

 feeding. 



do 



Leaves, stems, 

 and flowers; 

 drench. 



do 



Leaves; drencli... 



do 



Symptoms . . 

 Very sick 



do 



Not sck 



do 



Death 



Symptoms . . 



do 



do 



do 



do 



do 



do 



[Raw oil and 

 < tiirpen- 

 1 "^'ne. 



Do. 

 Do. 



Do . . 



Do 



Sheep No. 277.. 



Sheep No. 280.. 

 Sheep No. 261.. 



Sheep No. 283.. 



i Do. 



