COCKLEBUES AS POISOISTOUS PLANTS 21 
weight, and at another 4.514 per cent, and pig 22 received of the 
plant in the same stage 2.2 per cent ; these feedings to pigs 23 and 22 
produced no toxic effect. As 1.512 per cent was the largest quantity 
of the fresh plant which failed to produce symptoms, it seems prob- 
able that the plants lose some of their toxicity in drying. 
REMEDIES 
To avoid losses from Xanthium, the most important thing is to 
prevent animals from eating the weed. Very hungry animals will 
eat almost anything available. If there is a shortage of good forage, 
and animals find the young plants of cocklebur, they may easily eat 
enough to cause serious results. 
Pigs are attracted to the margins of shallow ponds, where cockle- 
burs grow in profusion, and are especially liable to be poisoned, 
and other animals may eat the succulent young plants when there is 
a lack of other forage. These young plants, as stated, do not have 
the bitter taste which is found in later growth, and it is not strange 
that they are eaten in considerable quantity. 
In regard to medicinal remedies, considerable work has been done, 
and the results apparently indicate methods of treatment which may 
be used successfully. Mrs. A. Creecy, of Eaton, X. Mex., told the 
senior writer that her people had found that if pigs were given whole 
milk they were not poisoned by cocklebur. Acting on this sugges- 
tion, several experiments were made. Pig 28, on September 12, was 
given 1.653 per cent of animal weight of the young cotyledon stage 
of cocklebur. It received 1^ quarts of fresh milk, part immediately 
after the feeding of cockleburs and part the next morning, and 
showed no symptoms of poisoning. On September 18 the same pig 
received 1.873 per cent of animal weight of cocklebur. Immediately 
after the feeding it was given 1 quart of fresh milk and another 
quart the next morning. Again it showed no symptoms. This ex- 
periment was repeated with pig 29, with the same result. 
Remembering that 1.5 per cent of animal weight may be con- 
sidered as the toxic or lethal dose, and that, as stated, the largest 
quantity of the plant in the young cotyledon stage which was eaten 
with no toxic results, when no remedy was given, was 1.521 per cent 
of animal weight, it would seem that the milk must have had a 
beneficial effect. 
Assuming that the beneficial effect of the milk was due to the 
contained fats, it was thought that similar results might be obtained 
by the use of other fats or oils. Pig 30, February 27, received 1.873 
per cent of animal weight of Xanthium, this as before being con- 
sidered a toxic dose, and immediately after the feeding was given 60 
grams (2.1 ounces) of lard and the same quantity the next morning. 
That quantity of lard was used, although it is about double the 
quantity of the fat in a quart of rich milk. The animal showed no 
symptoms of poisoning. 
The same animal in another experiment, March 28, received the 
same quantity of Xanthium, and after feeding was given 60 cubic 
centimeters (2 fluid ounces) of raw linseed oil and the same quantity 
next morning. As in the use of lard, the dosage of oil was estimated 
as being about twice the quantity of fat in a quart of milk. In this 
case, too, no toxic effect followed. 
