STOCE-POISOttlttG PLANTS OF THE MtfGE. 7 



System. Horses formerly gentle become uncontrollable and will 

 shy violently at imaginary objects or leap high over some slight 

 obstruction. Generally speaking, a locoed horse can neither be led 

 nor backed, and when put in motion can not easily be stopped or 

 turned, but may continue until it runs against a fence or other 

 obstruction. 



Many animals acquire a liking for the plant to such an extent that 

 they will eat nothing else. This, however, is not true in all cases. 

 The animal, when affected, shows progressive emaciation and even- 

 tually starves to death. It is not at all unusual in a country where 

 there are locoed cattle to see a steer standing off by itself, sometimes 

 remaining in one position for hours, or even for days, and finally 

 falling and dying without making any attempt to go elsewhere, 

 either for food or water. 



The losses from loco plants have been enormous. Some owners 

 have gone into bankruptcy, and in many cases it has been found 

 impossible to run horses or cattle upon certain ranges. 



TREATMENT OF ANIMALS POISONED BY LOCO. 



It does not always follow that animals eat the plants in any very 

 large quantity, for even in a place like that shown in Plate II cattle 

 may be pastured for a long time without any of them becoming 

 affected. The most important point in regard to the handling of 

 domestic animals upon such a loco range, as will be emphasized later 

 in this paper, is to see that they have an abundance of good food. 

 When the range contains in addition to the loco an abundance of 

 grasses the number of locoed animals is very much reduced. 



When the first symptoms of loco poisoning are observed, it is 

 essential that the animals be removed to a place where they can 

 not get the plants. Horses are very apt, after becoming slightly 

 locoed 7 to continue eating the plant until they are absolutely worth- 

 less. It is always unsafe to turn a partly locoed horse upon a region 

 that is covered with the plant. The same is true in regard to cattle, 

 only to a lesser degree. As soon as symptoms of loco poisoning are 

 seen in cattle they should be removed from the open range and, if 

 possible, put upon alfalfa pasture. All locoed animals are consti- 

 pated, and the alfalfa has a tendency to relieve this condition. 



Generally speaking, if cattle are moved from the open range in 

 time and fed upon alfalfa, the greater number of them will recover. 

 After recovery it is well to put them upon the market as soon as 

 possible, for if turned out upon the range again there is always 

 a possibility that they may become locoed a second time, with worse 

 results than at first. If the animals are valuable enough to justify 

 the time spent in treating them, their recovery will be hastened, 

 in the case of horses, by daily doses of 15 to 20 c. c. (4 to 6 drams) 



