THE WHORLED MILKWEED AS A POISONOUS PLANT. 13 
HORSE EXPERIMENTS. 
Only one horse, No. 126, a 5-year-old gelding weighing 1,020 
pounds and in fine condition, was used for experimental feeding. 
At 3.36 p. m. July 30, 1918, the animal was given 1,020 grams, equal 
to 0.22 pound per hundred weight of animal, of Asclepias galioides 
which had been shipped from Hotchkiss, Colo. The plant was mixed 
with 5 pounds of alfalfa hay. The feeding was entirely eaten by 
5.15 p. m. of the same day. The horse was kept under observation 
until 10.30 p. m. and during that time no symptoms appeared. It 
was seen again the following morning, July 31 at 7.45 a. m., when 
it seemed slightly paralyzed in its hind legs and while being driven 
from one pen to another, fell down. At 8 a. m., its pupils were di- 
lated and it was moving uncertainly about the corrals, evidently not 
having entire control of its legs. When hurried it fell. At 8.30 a* m. 
it was staggering about the corral ; would walk a few steps, tremble, 
spread its legs apart and fall. As it went down its head was bent 
toward its breast and its lips were drawn back from its teeth. It 
perspired freely and the pupils were dilated. These motions were 
repeated again and again. The animal rose from the reclining pos- 
ture with difficulty and in its attempt to move about the corral was 
uncertain in its movements and staggered from side to side. It could 
stand for only an extremely short time and then would fall and 
again attempt to rise. 
Plate V, figures 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6, show its attitude at various times 
between 8.25 and 8.45 a. m. Figure 1 shows the attitude assumed 
during the spasms. The head is extended rather rigidly and the 
legs drawn close to the body. In figure 2 the animal is shown in 
a brief period of rest before attempting to rise. Figure 3 shows the 
characteristic staggering as it attempted to move about the corral. 
In figure 4 its head is drawn close to the breast, an attitude frequently 
assumed in the spasms. In figure 5 the horse is attempting to rise. 
It was noticed in these attempts that it had less control of the hind 
legs than of the fore legs. These motions were repeated every 2 to 
5 minutes and it was noticed that in falling the animal almost in- 
variably fell upon its right side, the head sometimes striking the 
ground with great violence. Figure 6 shows the animal just as it is 
attempting to raise its head from the ground. 
Plate Va, figure 1, taken at 8.57 a. m., shows the horse in one of 
its attitudes when attempting to stand. As stated, the animal would 
fall upon its right side and roll upon its belly and then attempt, 
with greater or less success, to rise. During this time it breathed 
with forcible expirations, frequently accompanied with grunts. Fig- 
ure 2 of the same plate shows the animal again in one of its attempts 
to get upon its feet. These motions were repeated frequently, the 
