STAGGER GRASS AS A POISONOUS PLANT. 13 



POISON CUMULATIVE. 



The toxic effect of Chrosperma in the drenched cases appeared 

 very quickly; in the fatal case death occurred in one hour. In the 

 fed cases, however, even when the feeding was done l)y hand and 

 consequently took but a short period of time, the symptoms ap- 

 peared after several hours. When the feeding was done in the 

 forenoon the most pronounced symptoms did not appear until the 

 latter part of the afternoon or in the night. They persisted, too, for 

 a long time. In the cattle thej' continued for two days, and one of 

 the sheep was not completely recovered at the end of six clays. 



From this persistence of the toxic effect it seems that the poison 

 is somewhat cumulative. In the cases in which feeding was con- 

 tinued on the second day it is pretty clear that its effect was added 

 to that of the first day's feeding. 



It seems probable that the long-continued illness resulting from 

 eating the Chrosperma is due not so much to the severity of the 

 toxic effect as to the fact that probably the active principle is ex- 

 tracted and absorbed somewhat slowly. It is to be presumed that 

 in the drenched cases, inasmuch as the leaves were ground up and 

 mixed with water, the poisonous principle is partly extracted at the 

 time of the feeding. Moreover, the material of which a drench is 

 composed goes in large part directly to the fourth stomach and 

 consequently is quickly absorbed. 



ANIMALS SUSCEPTIBLE. 



The experimental work was with cattle and sheep, both of which 

 were shown to be susceptible to the poisonous effect of the plant. 

 As is stated earlier in the paper it is said in North Carolina that 

 horses and mules, but not swine, are poisoned. The plant is shown 

 to be so very poisonous that it seems probable that most animals are 

 affected if they eat it. 



One case of a child eating it and barely surviving has been re- 

 ported to the writers. It seems rather strange that no more human 

 cases have been known, for it seems certain that it is a very danger- 

 ous plant. 



REMEDIAL MEASURES. 



Not much can be done in the way of medicinal remedies. Doubt- 

 less a purgative would aid in eliminating the toxic substances. Ex- 

 perimental work on the related plant, Zygadenus, indicates that lit- 

 tle can be expected from strictly antidotal treatment. Almost all 

 that can be done is to keep the animals quiet and wait for the effects 

 of the poison to pass off. Inasmuch as the effects of the toxic sub- 

 stance may continue for 2 or 3 days, or even longer, rapid recovery 

 must not be expected. 



