22 
from Prollius' fluid was in appearance like the loco extract, 
a thick, molasses-looking mass, soluble in water, and giving 
it a coffee-colored appearance when diluted. Millon’s, Ber¬ 
zelius’, Marme’s, Hager’s, Mayer’s, and Wagner’s tests, before 
described, gave precipitates with the solution. Bulletin No. 
3, Oregon Station, October, 1889, page 25, contains the follow¬ 
ing statement in regard to the 
LARKSPUR. 
The matter was taken up on account of the numerous let¬ 
ters received at the station during the spring and summer, 
asking information with regard to plants which were thought 
to be poisonous to stock. The method of investigation was 
the following; Two well-developed, healthy, yearling steers 
were bought for the experiments, which were primarily to 
discover whether the plants under examination were injur¬ 
ious, and if so, to note the symptoms developed and try vari¬ 
ous antidotes for the effects produced. That all parts of the 
plants might be tested, the tops, i. e., the leaves and stem 
were fed to one animal, the roots to the other. As great a 
quantity of the plant was fed to each as cattle under ordinary 
circumstances would be liable to obtain in the pasture. That 
the plants might be readily eaten they were, in most cases, 
mixed with some chopped grass and a small amount of oats 
added. The experiments commenced May 7. and the first 
plant tried was the common blue larkspur {delphinhmi exalt- 
atuni ). 
“Twenty-four specimens were taken. The tops chopped 
and mixed with about an equal amount of clover grass, were 
fed to one, the roots prepared in a similar way, were fed to the 
other animal, in both cases without any apparent ill effect. 
The larkspur used was mostly in full bloom and the individ¬ 
uals were chiefly good-sized plants.” 
“ White larkspur was next tried. Thirty plants, well devel¬ 
oped, in full flower, were fed in a manner similar to that noted 
with the blue larkspur. No effects noted.” 
In Bulletin No. 35, December, 1892, of the Kansas station, 
page 115, a cut of the Astragahcs Mollissimtts is shown. The 
article is headed, ‘Some Observations upon the Loco.’ The 
article contains the usual symptoms and post mortem appear¬ 
ances. The conclusion is especially interesting : 
“A careful survey of the experiments performed and ob¬ 
servations noted leads me to the opinion that the disease 
known as ‘loco’ is the result of mal-nutrition, or a gradual 
starvation, caused by the animal eating the plants known as 
‘loco weeds,’ either Astra^ahis Mollissinms or Oxytropis 
