i8 
are affected. I have had a great deal of trouble in obtaining 
subjects for post mortem, as the ranchmen do not want it 
known that they have any animals affected with loco. They 
say it would interfere with the sale of their stock. I have 
been unable to form any reliable estimate of the number of 
animals that yearly die from the so-called loco disease. 
METHOD OF ANALYSIS. 
There are quite a number of methods of analyses for the 
detection and estimation of poisons and ptomaines : 
The Otto-Stass method ; Granteir and Etard’s method ; 
Brieger’s method ; Luff’s method ; Graham’s method ; Fischer’s 
method ; Sonnenschein’s method ; r 3 ragendorff’s method. Al¬ 
most everyone who has had any great experience with this kind 
of work modifies the method he uses, or adapts the method to 
his own case. Last year Prof. Sayre called my attention to a 
method described in Pharmacetitische Rttndschau for January, 
1891, p. 8, by Profs. Power and Gambier, as they claim to 
have found alkaloids or something that gives alkaloidal re¬ 
actions. I have followed their method in detail and in every 
particular, as follows: One kilogram (2.2 lbs.) of the dried 
and finely ground powder was extracted with strong alcohol 
for 5 days. The alcohol was pressed out with a filter press. 
The alcoholic extract was distilled in a Remington still to re¬ 
cover the alcohol; the concentrated residue was treated with 
water and a little acetic acid to precipitate the resin. This 
resin was given to a rabbit and produced no effect. I took it 
in 10 grain doses and could feel no effects. The taste was 
very disagreeable. The aqueous liquid was treated with lead 
acetate and the precipitate washed with water, and treated 
with sulphuretted, hydrogen, filtered, boiled down to a small 
bulk and given to rabbits; it produced no effects. The filtrate, 
after the lead acetate had been added, was filtered and evap¬ 
orated to a small bulk and the following tests applied: 
Mayer’s (potassio mercuric iodide) gave a.yellowish white precipitate 
Dragendorff’s (potassio bismuthic iodide) gave a.reddish yellow^ precipitate 
Wagner’s (iodine in potassium iodide) gave a... .reddish brown precipitate 
Sonnenschein’s (phospho-molybdate) gave a.yellowish precipitate 
Hager’s test (picric acid in alcohol) gave a.light yellowish precipitate 
Berzelius (tannic acid in alcohol) gave a.light brown precipitate 
The unused portion ofthisliquid was divided into two parts; 
one half was made acid by a few drops of sulphuric acid, and 
the other half made alkaline with a few drops of ammonia. 
These solutions were evaporated to a small bulk on the water 
bath, and each treated with Prollius’ fluid that was made as 
follows: 70 c. c. of 94 per cent, alcohol, 30 c. c. of 28 per 
