LARKSPUR POISONING OF LIVE STOCK. 65 
The rate of respiration was noted in a large number of the cases 
in both years. In general it ran very high. The highest noted was 
123, in the case of No. 604, a yearling heifer. Generally speaking, 
however, it did not go above 60 to 70. In the case of No. 604, the 
respiration was noted at various periods between 3.15 and 4.22 p. m., 
the rates observed being 100, 123, 103, 58, 60. In the case of No. 
610, in 1910, between 11.45 a. m. and 6.40 p. m., the numbers indi- 
cating the rapidity of respiration were 80, 60, 60, 85, 44, 40, 28, 24. 
These two cases may be considered as typical of the general course 
of respiration in cases of poisoning. Generally speaking, the respi- 
ration was highest and shallow at the most acute stage of the attack 
and gradually diminished and became deeper as the effects of the 
poisoning passed off. In nearly all cases, however, even if the 
animal had apparently entirely recovered, the rate of respiration was 
still quite high. 
The pulse also was noted in a considerable number of cases, and 
this, as would be expected, was also rapid. The highest observed 
was 150 in the case of No. 618. Generally speaking, in the acute 
cases, the pulse ran well toward 100 and was very weak and, as the 
effect of the poison passed off, would progressively become slower 
and stronger. In some few cases the pulse during the stage of 
poisoning was rather low, as, for example, in case of No. 113 in 1909, 
where the pulse was 50. It immediately, however, went up to 74. 
Salivation was not present in all cases, but it was noted in a num- 
ber of the sick animals. Of the 22 cases sick at the station from eat- 
ing Delphinium barbeyi in 1910, 9 showed more or less marked sali- 
vation. It was not a universal symptom but was a common one. 
Of course, the administration of the remedy physostigmin and pilo- 
carpin increased the salivation, but this symptom was noted before 
the administration of the remedy, and in cases where no remedy was 
given. 
It is stated by some authors that in larkspur poisoning there is a 
loss of control of the muscles and that the animals die in violent 
spasms. This was hardly true of the experimental animals at Mount 
Carbon. There were involuntary contractions of many of the muscles 
of the body. These contractions were particularly pronounced in 
some cases in the muscles around the mouth and nose, which con- 
tracted so as to produce a condition of continuous movement of the 
muzzle. In one or two cases this movement extended to the mandible. 
The muscles of the shoulders, flanks, and hips contracted spasmodic- 
ally, and sometimes there appeared to be a muscular trembling over 
the whole surface of the body. This trembling was much more marked 
when the animals were standing than when they were down. When 
down, some of the animals kicked about to some extent, but there 
26876°— Bull. 365—16 5 
