Lip 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' sahieylates 2 Ss Etats Ss Biss PE ee 1 grain. 
Pilocarpin hydrochloride: js sree el es ee See 2 grains. 
Sirychnin sulphates. ss) 2a > en oe ee eee 3 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 syrmge 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. 
