Colorado Plants Injurious to Livestock 
53 
(fig. 69) roughened. The small, white flowers are arranged in um¬ 
bels as in common parsnip (fig. 74) ; the fruit resembles that of 
parsley. 
Water hemlock is found throughout the Rocky Mountain sec¬ 
tion from 4,000 to 8,000 feet elevation. It grows in wet or swampy 
situations, on streams and ditch banks. 
Water hemlock has been distinguished from ordinary garden 
parsnip in its wild state. It is also sometimes confused with the 
water parsnip (Slum cicutaefolium) (fig. 73). This plant belongs 
to the same family (parsnip or carrot family) as water hemlock, and 
is found growing in wet places, but it does not have a cluster of 
fleshy roots as does the water hemlock; furthermore the leaves are 
not doubly compounded (fig. 73). The water parsnip has been 
noted in but a few localities of the state. It is reported as poison¬ 
ous, but it is likely that it has been confused with the water hem¬ 
lock. 
Poisoning by zuater hemlock. —The American water hemlock 
is one of the most poisonous plants native to the United States. 
Every year cases are reported of people, more often children, poison¬ 
ed from eating the roots of water hemlock, mistaking it for wild gar¬ 
den parsnip. Most of these cases are fatal. The root of a single 
plant has been known to kill a horse in little less than an hour. Pois¬ 
oning usually results from eating the roots, but there are instances 
in which fatal poisoning followed from eating the tops of young 
plants, arid there is strong suspicion that the dried plants in hay may 
at times be eaten in sufficient quantity to cause poisoning. The roots 
become accessible by plowing:, or as frequently haopens, the earth is 
washed away from around the roots on ditch banks. The roots are 
eaten with more apparent relish than are the dried tops, by both 
cattle and horses. 
Symptoms of poisoning. —The symptoms are quite character¬ 
istic and should be easily differentiated by the layman from those 
of camas, loco, larkspur or lupine poisoning. The first pronounced 
symptom is akin to acute spasmodic colic without intermissions from 
pain. Frequent attempts at micturiation and defectation are accom¬ 
panied by spasmodic contractions of the muscles of the abdomen. 
The animal is in great agony, and, when prostrate, beats its head 
violently upon the ground. There is “frothing at the mouth” and 
in cases that last for several hours, blood may appear in the feces 
and urine. The spasm rapidly become more and more severe as the 
brain excitement increases, and the animal finally become uncon¬ 
scious and dies in the most violent convulsions. 
Treatment. —In very acute cases animals may die in fifteen min¬ 
utes ; in such, treatment is out of the question. If potassium per¬ 
manganate (as recommended in connection with death camas) can 
be administrated early, it probably will be effective. Melted lard 
and raw linseed oil are indicated. To relieve the pain, morphine 
