12 BULLETIN 575, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



TREATMENT OF CATTLE POISONED BY LARKSPUR. 



Inasmuch as death from larkspur poisoning is caused by respiratory 

 paralysis, it is very important, if the animal is found poisoned by this 

 plant, that immediate means shall be taken to relieve the difficulty 

 in respiration. In their struggles animals poisoned by larkspur 

 ordinarily throw themselves with their heads downhill, and in this 

 position the stomach and intestines press upon the lungs and seriously 

 interfere with the function of respiration. If while in this position 

 the animal should vomit, some of the regurgitated material is very 

 apt to fall back into the windpipe and cause asphyxiation. When, 

 therefore, an animal is seen to fall from larkspur poisoning, it should 

 be turned about with its head uphill and erect and should then be 

 left undisturbed. It is also desirable under such conditions to give 

 the physostigmin remedy hypodermically, as recommended in 

 Farmers' Bulletin 531. The remedy has the following formula: 



Physostigmin salicylate 1 grain. 



Pilocarpin hydrochloric! 2 grains. 



Strychnin sulphate \ grain. 



This formula would apply to an animal weighing 500 or 600 pounds. 

 For a large steer or cow of 1,000 pounds or more the dose should be 

 twice that given in the formula. These materials can be obtained 

 from any dealer in drugs. The physostigmin salicylate and pilo- 

 carpin hydrochlorid are furnished in veterinary hypodermic tablets, 

 each containing one-half grain of physostigmin salicylate and 1 grain 

 of pilocarpin hydrochlorid. The strychnin sulphate can be obtained 

 in tablets each containing one-half grain. These dissolve easily, and 

 it is well to have two or three doses ready in small homeopathic 

 bottles. For yearlings one should use two of the physostigmin-pilo- 

 carpin tablets and one of the half-grain strychnin tablets dissolved 

 in enough water to fill an 8-dram homeopathic bottle; for full-grown 

 cattle four of the physostigmin-pilocarpin tablets and two of the 

 strychnin tablets dissolved in an 8-dram bottle full of water should 

 be used. 



It is best to use an all-metal hypodermic syringe. This can be 

 easily cleaned by boiling. The form which has been found most 

 useful for the field is that known as the Quitman syringe. In this the 

 needles are carried in the hollow piston, and a case is therefore unnec- 

 essary. The syringe should be of the 10-centimeter size, which holds 

 half an 8-dram bottle of water, so that the remedy can be given to 

 yearlings in a single dose, while for mature cattle the syringe must 

 be filled twice. The needle is most conveniently inserted in the 

 shoulder. There is little doubt that prompt treatment of animals 

 poisoned by larkspur will result in the saving of most of the cases. 



