161 
THE EFFECTS OF u LOCO-WEED.” 
of my investigation too, because they are quite different from 
those of Mr. Sayre. 
Coming two years ago to western Texas, I at first had some 
skepticism about the marvellous teachings of the Mexican cu 
raneros,” which are more or less believed by farmers and other 
people of the country. Mixed up with a great mass of supersti¬ 
tion from old tradition, there is still some truth in this belief. 
There are phenomena in this southern country and climate in re¬ 
lation to animals, not yet known to or explained by veterinary 
science. Among these are the physical effects of the loco-weed, 
here shortly called by the Mexican name, loco, (crazy.) This 
plant grows all over western Texas, but I doubt it present in the 
deep, flat south-western countries; in Brownsville, Rio Grande, 
I either saw it, or heard of it. 
The first animal I saw affected by the loco-plant was a Texas 
pony in Fort Clark in November, 1886 . A professional exami¬ 
nation showed the following very marked symptoms while the 
animal was at rest: a marked dilatation of the pupil, as power¬ 
ful as caused by atropin; general decreased sensibility to mechan¬ 
ical irritation ; slugginess in motion and inability to judge pro¬ 
perly as to distance and as to the nature of common objects_in 
consequence a great mental excitement. Wishing to become ac¬ 
quainted with that plant which produces such condition, the 
owner of the horse next day brought me the loco-plant; gave it 
to the horse, which had not been fed; he ate it. I could not rec¬ 
ognize the plant, or classify it, being without the necessary botan¬ 
ical works. . Through Mr. Sayre I learn it is “ astragalus molis- 
simus.” His description covers exactly that of the plant grow¬ 
ing here * According to the dilation of the pupil, I used the 
antidote of atropin, morphia sulpli., applying it in repeated strong 
hypodermic injections. The effect was very plain : the pupil 
contracted and the horse’s bearing became more sensible. Repe¬ 
tition of the treatment, with proper food, resulted in quieting the 
horse and in making him act sensibly within six days. ^The 
owner of the horse, a cowboy, fearing doubtless pecuniary obli¬ 
gation to me, took him secretly away and I lost sight of the case. 
His being able to do so is manifest proof that the animal had re¬ 
covered his usefulness. 
