22 BULLETIN 800, U. S. DEPARTMENT OE AGRICULTURE. 
the body. Clonic spasms, often with the typical drawing of the head 
to the thorax, are observed some time after the general convulsions 
have commenced. "When resting between spasms the animal usually 
lies stretched out with the head in opisthotonos. All the animals 
which exhibited spasms eventually died. The autopsy showed, in 
general, heart in diastole with surface vessels full, lungs normal, 
liver, spleen, and kidneys usually normal, digestive tract normal, 
often containing much gas, central nervous system congested. This 
is similar to the typical picture in cases of range poisoning. 
A second general type of cases is produced by the glucosid that 
was isolated from the water-soluble fraction of the alcohol ex- 
tract by chloroform after making the solution alkaline. This type 
of case is not observed on the range because the quantity of the 
causative agent contained in a toxic dose of the plant is too small 
to assert itself over the spasmodic substance. Animals drenched with 
solutions of this glucosid are completely narcotized within a few 
minutes of the administration of the dose: they fall upon the side 
and are indifferent to stimuli. The respiration is deep and regular 
and the heart beat is normal. Animals remain in this condition for 
several hours and finally die with symptoms of respiratory paralysis. 
On autopsy these animals frequently show congestion of the digestive 
tract and of the central nervous system, but in some cases the brain 
and cord appeared normal. 
The third general type of poisoning is produced' by the glucosid 
which is not extracted from the aqueous solution of the alcoholic 
extract by chloroform. In these cases the animal shows no marked 
symptoms for several hours after the administration of the dose. 
Then there is evidence of weakness which continues, the animal 
loses weight rapidly, finally goes down upon the belly with the legs 
sprawled out, and dies in from 5 to 7 days after the drench. The 
autopsy in these cases does not furnish typical lesions: usually all 
the organs appear normal, but occasionally there is fullness in the 
central nervous system. Range cases do not show this type of intoxi- 
cation for the same reason adduced in the case of the second type. 
EXPERIMENTAL. 
The following account of some typical experiments furnishes an 
indication of the general methods employed in the chemical investi- 
gation, leaving the more extended and detailed description for future 
publication. 
Moisture, ash. and extract determination. — The material used for 
these determinations was dried Asclepias galioides collected in July, 
1918, at Paonia, Colo., and reduced to a No. 60 powder. 
Ter cent. 
Moisture 6. 22 
Ash 11.33 
