Poisoning 423 
toms. If there is severe irritation of the bowels, give a 
purge of castor- or raw linseed-oil, to remove the irrita- 
ting material, and follow with small doses of laudanum, 
to allay the irritation. Gruels and warm sweet milk 
containing beaten raw eggs are soothing and nourishing. 
To animals that can vomit, an emetic of mustard and 
tepid water may be given. In cases iu which symptoms 
indicate absorbed poisou, and the animal is weak and 
depressed, stimulants should be given, together with 
purgatives, to remove poisonous materials not already 
absorbed. Dilute alcohol or ammonia, in moderate 
doses, should be given frequently until danger from 
collapse is past. In all cases of poisoning it is a good 
plan to give rectal injections of warm water, to stimu- 
late the action of the bowels and to remove their con- 
tents. When an animal is cold and weak, stimulants, 
such as Jamaica ginger, may be given in hot water, 
and the animal placed in warm quarters and rubbed 
vigorously. 
POISONOUS FOODS 
Under certain conditions, some common foods may 
be poisonous to animals. Sorghum, especially second 
growth, may cause death very quickly when animals 
are pastured on it; in some instances death appears to 
result from bloating; in other cases the animals die in 
a few minutes, without the formation of gas in the 
rumen due to the presence of hydrocyanic acid that is 
formed in the sorghum under conditions that are not 
understood. If there is an opportunity for treatment, 
permanganate of potash in teaspoonful doses, dissolved 
