30 



© c 



plants with much care, but until two years ago their efforts threw little 

 light on the nature of the poison. In 1 895, however, Dr. Carl Euedi 

 isolated an acid (loco acid) from it to which he attributed the poison- 

 ous qualities of the plant. 



Antidotes. — No effectual antidotes have as yet been published, so the 

 only remedy for the evil is to remove the animals from the vicinity of 



the plants as early as possible after they are 

 affected, and then maintain them on some good 

 nourishing food, in no case permitting them 

 to return to the old pastures until the noxious 

 plants have been removed. 



The following recipe, suggested by Dr. 

 Mayo in 1892, may be found serviceable in 

 assisting the animal to recover vigor : 



Ounces. 



Sulphate of iron, pulverized 1 



Gentian root, pulverized 4 



Ammonium chloride, pulverized 1 



Potassium nitrate, pulverized 1 



Mix thoroughly, and give from a heaping teaspoon- 

 ful to a tablespoonful, according to the size of the 

 animal, in the food three times daily. 



This genus contains a large number of spe- 

 cies and it is quite probable that many of these 

 should be considered to be poisonous where 

 they grow over wide areas of pasture land, 

 and are green at periods when there is but 

 little green grass. Over a half dozen have 

 been reported to the Department of Agricul- 

 ture as highly detrimental to the stock in- 

 dustry. 



STEMLESS LOCO WEED. 

 Aragallus lambertii (Pursh) Greene. 



Other names : Loco weed ) crazy weed ; Colo- 

 rado loco vetch. (Fig. 13.) 



Description and habitat. — This differs from the true loco weed most 

 conspicuously in its more erect and branchless habit, its longer leaflets, 

 which are linear or oblong instead of ovate, and the one-celled seed pod. 

 It ranges over the same territory as does the woollj^ loco weed, but 

 extends farther, being fouud throughout the Great Plains from British 

 America to Mexico, and it also ascends higher in the mountains, at 

 Silver Cliff, in Colorado, growing luxuriantly at an altitude of about 

 8,000 feet. 



Symptoms. — So far as has been observed, the symptoms of poisoning 

 are identical with those produced by the preceding species. The two 

 plants are considered to be equally prejudicial to the stock-raising 

 interests of New Mexico. 



Fig. 13.— -Stemless loco Treed 

 (Aragallus lambertii) : a, flower- 

 ing plant; b. seed pods; c, cross 

 section of seed pod — all one. 

 third natural size. 



