20 BULLETIN 800, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



tion was never rapid and was labored during the full period. The 

 spasms were repeated with very great frequency between 6.57 p. m. 

 and 7.17 p. m. A record of the number of the spasms was taken 

 and it was found that 59 occurred during the period. At 7.20 p. m. 

 there was a violent spasm. The animal straightened out its legs, 

 the heart stopped beating, and gas bubbled up through the throat 

 and mouth. 



In the autopsy upon this animal very little was noticed that was 

 abnormal ; in fact, this autopsy should hardly be considered typical. 

 In the summarized account of the autopsies on page 28 is given 

 a statement in regard to the general appearances of the internal 

 organs of the animal after death. 



CHEMICAL EXAMINATION. 



No analysis of Asdepias gaUoides appears to have been made be- 

 fore this investigation and, although the present chemical examina- 

 tion has not been completed, it appears to be desirable to record the 

 definite results already obtained. 



The plant material used for the chemical work was taken from the 

 same stock lots as that used in the feeding experiments and was 

 consequently identical with it. Most of it was carefully dried and 

 ground in a drug mill. One portion of green plant was, however, 

 examined, but was found to contain nothing of a toxic nature which 

 is not present also in the dried plant. 



No attempt was made to determine all the constituents of the 

 plant by a routine phytochemical analysis, since for this investiga- 

 tion, the substances responsible for range poisoning were alone 

 important. On that account the chemical procedure was conducted 

 primarily to yield knowledge of them. 



A portion of the dried plant was extracted with petroleum ether 

 and the extract was found to contain a large quantity of caoutchouc 

 with coumarin and fatty matters. Several portions were exhausted 

 with alcohol, which removed all the toxic substances. This extract 

 was partly soluble in water and both the solution and the residue 

 were toxic. The aqueous solution contained a very small quantity 

 of a nontoxic alkaloidal substance corresponding to less than 0.01 

 per cent of the weight of the dry plant, two glucosids which may be 

 separated from each other by their different solubility in chloro- 

 form, and sugars which appear to consist of maltose and a sugar 

 which yields dextrosazone. Both of the glucosids are toxic and 

 produce narcosis. 



The water-insoluble portion of the alcohol extract contains fats, 

 an orange-red coloring matter, a phytosterol, nontoxic resin acids, 

 toxic glucosids which are probably identical with those found in 



