12 
BULLETIN 1245, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 
;v\ , 
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 lark- 
spur poisoning, it should be turned about with it's head uphill and 
erect and should then be left undisturbed. It is also desirable under 
such conditions to give the physostigmine remedy hypodermically, 
as recommended in Farmers' Bulletin 988. The remedy has the 
following formula : 
Physostigmine salicylate 1 grain. 
Pilocarpine hydrbchlorid 2 grains. 
Strychnine sulphate \ 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 
physostigmine salicy- 
late and pilocarpine 
hydrochlorid are fur- 
nished in veterinary 
hypodermic tablets, 
each containing one- 
half grain of physostig- 
mine salicylate and 1 
grain of pilocarpine hy- 
drochlorid e. The 
strychnin sulphate can 
Fig. 9.-Sheep poisoned by cherry, gasping- for breath. 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 physostigmine-pilocarpine tablets and one of the half- 
grain strychnine tablets dissolved in an 8-dram homeopathic bottle 
one-third full of water; for full-grown cattle four of the physostig- 
mine-pilocarpine tablets and two of the strychnine tablets dissolved 
in an 8-dram bottle two-thirds 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 
unnecessary. The syringe should be of the 10-centimeter size, which 
holds one-third of an 8-dram bottle of water, so (hat tin 1 remedy 
can lie given to yearlings in a single dose, while for mature cattle 
the syringe must be filled twice. The needle is most conveniently 
inserted in the shoulder. There is little doubl that prompt treatment 
of animals poisoned by larkspur will result in the saving of most of 
the cases. 
