THE MEADOW DEATH CAMAS AS A POISONOUS PLANT. 9 
The longest period was 9 hours and 40 minutes, and the shortest 
44 minutes, with an average of all cases of 2 hours and 55 minutes. 
COMPARISON OF SPECIES IN REGARD TO TIME BEFORE DEVELOPMENT OF SYMPTOMS. 
Table 5 presents a comparison of the different species of Zygadenus 
in regard to the time elapsed between the feeding of the plant to sheep 
and the development of symptoms. 
Table 5. — Minimum, maximum, and average time elapsed between feeding of 
Zygadenus species to sheep and development of symptoms. 
Species. 
Maximum. 
Minimum. 
Average. 
7 hours 30 minutes 
Z. paniculatus 
8 hours 40 minutes 
3 hours 14 minutes. 
7 hours 
9 hours 40 minutes 
So far as this table is concerned, it does not appear that there is 
any marked difference between the time of development of symptoms 
in the different species of Zygadenus examined. It will be noted that 
the maximum time is practically the same. While in the average 
figures it appears that a somewhat longer time elapsed in the case of 
Zygadenus paniculatus, it is not thought that any significance should 
be attached to these figures. 
In the three classes of animals used in the Zygadenus venenosus 
experiments — cattle, sheep, and pigs — the latent period is practically 
the same. 
AUTOPSY FINDINGS. 
There was opportunity for an autopsy on only one animal, sheep 
637. This animal was given Zygadenus venenosus by balling gun 
at 11 a. m. and was found dead at 12.40 p. m. It had died between 
11.25 a. m. and 12.40 p. m. It was lying on the right side, much 
bloated, and there was evidence in the corral that it had vomited 
profusely. The autopsy was commenced at 1.40 p. m. 
The left ventricle was contracted and the right expanded. In 
the trachea there was some froth, but it contained none of the stomach 
contents. There was some congestion in the lungs. The stomachs 
were normal, except that the first stomach had an unusual quantity 
of gas. There were areas of congestion in the ileum. In other 
respects the alimentary canal was normal, except that the colon was 
distended with gas. The thymus was filled with hemorrhagic spots. 
All other organs were normal. 
MICROSCOPIC CHANGES IN TISSUES. 
On microscopic examination, capillary congestion was well marked 
in several of the organs, principally in the lungs, spleen, pancreas, 
thymus, and thyroids. In the medullary portion of many lobules of 
the thymus there were hemorrhagic areas, probably due to the dia- 
pedesis of erythrocytes. 
In most of the tissues examined changes in the parenchyma were 
slight. The kidneys, however, were a marked exception. There was 
a pronounced acute parenchymatous nephritis which particularly 
