78 BULLETIN" 365, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 
quantity of the poisonous substance unless it is given in many doses 
repeated at very frequent intervals. 
It was noticed early in the work of 1909 that all the poisoned 
animals were very constipated, and the question was raised whether 
the removal of this condition might not either prevent the poisoning 
or predispose the animals to recovery. Cowboys upon the range 
have remarked that whenever animals commence to defecate recov- 
ery is assured. Therefore if the animals were so treated as to keep 
up a free movement of the bowels, it might be possible to prevent 
the poisonous action of the larkspur. To test this, No. 602 was 
brought into the corral on September 8, 1909, for experimental feed- 
ing. Feeding of Delphinium barbeyi was commenced on September 
9, using the leaves, stems, and fruit of material that had been col- 
lected at Kebler Pass. Although this material was mature, it was 
green and fresh. Feeding was continued to September 16. During 
this time the animal, which weighed about ,450 pounds, ate 388.25 
pounds of the plant, or, on the basis of 1,000 pounds of weight, 
862,8 pounds. On September 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 15, and 16 she re- 
ceived 4 ounces of magnesium sulphate in the drinking water. In 
spite of the large quantity of larkspur eaten the animal showed not 
the slightest effect of poisoning. The bowels were kept rather more 
loose than normal. Inasmuch as the general results of the experi- 
mental work show that the larkspur as it grows older loses much 
of its toxicity, the question was raised whether the failure to poison 
this animal was not due to the fact that the larkspur was old and 
had perhaps lost some of its poisonous properties. In order to test 
this No. 112 was brought into the corrals on September 15, and feed- 
ing was commenced on September 16 of material obtained from the 
same place as that fed to No. 602. She was fed during September 
16 and 17 79£ pounds, or, on the basis of 1,000 pounds of weight, 
130 pounds. At 5.35 p. m. on September 17 she was found down in 
the corrals. At 5.38 she was disgorging material from the rumen, 
this material consisting of larkspur and water, part of it passing 
up through the nostrils and interfering with her breathing. At 
5.42 she was raised up in order that the trachea might be less likely 
to be filled with the vomited material. She was hardly able to hold 
up her head. There was some twitching of the flank muscles and 
the muscles of the forelegs. Eespiration at this time was very slow 
and shallow. The pulse could not be found at all. At 5.48 she was 
dead. This animal during the feeding was very much constipated. 
She received larkspur from the same localities as that fed to No. 
602, and the material was in practically the same condition. It 
should be noted, too, that not only did No. 602 receive a much larger 
total quantity of larkspur, but the daily feeding also was very much 
