424 The Diseases of Animals 
in a quart of water, should be given as a drench as 
quickly as possible. 
Cattle are sometimes poisoned from eating quantities 
of flax chaff. They are often fed flax straw and chaff 
with good results; but fine flax chaff should not be fed 
alone to cattle that are not used to it; 
even a small quantity eaten under unfavor- 
able conditions may cause acute indigestion 
and death. It should always be mixed 
with coarser food, and but little given at 
a time. 
Ergotism is a chronic form of poison- 
ing resulting from the eating of ergot. It 
is sometimes serious among cattle. Ergot 
is a fungus that attacks certain grasses, 
especially rye and plants known as “wild 
rye,” causing the heads to have abnormal 
grains. This is commonly called “spurred 
rye.” Fig. 59. When ergot is eaten in 
any quantity, it causes irritation of the 
bowels, colics, abortion in pregnant fe- 
Hig. Se males, and a sloughing of the extremities, 
Rye, with ergot such as the feet and tail, The treatment 
ata(X%). The , 3 
diseased graing is to remove the cause and give good laxa- 
black. tive food. 
—— E 
MOLDY CORN 
- In the corn- growing regions of the West, in years 
when the corn crop is poor and the ears are small and 
damaged by the green corn-worm, the ear, especially 
