SOME ANIMAL DISEASES 
7 
poison in a spring or water hole. The reason why the spring is thought 
to be poisoned is because there is sometimes a little misunderstanding 
between the neighbors, and the fact that the cattle have been found dead 
near the spring has naturally lead to the supposition that the neighbor 
was wreaking vengeance by purposely poisoning his neighbor’s stock. 
The real reason is, of course, that the animals as soon as they become 
distressed will start for the nearest water hole to drink and are often 
found adjacent to it. 
The most active poison in the plant is called Delphinine, and in its 
action is very similar to aconite, depressing the heart’s action and pro¬ 
ducing great weakness, and in many cases there is extreme bloating, the 
same as from alfalfa. Many antidotes have been tried, but only two 
appear to be of real benefit. The chemical antidote, potassium perman¬ 
ganate, has given results that are surprisingly satisfactory. The ad¬ 
vantage in this drug is that it changes the poison and renders it harm¬ 
less before it has been absorbed into the system. It is a most valuable 
antidote for poisoning by several of the alkaloids. With some little 
inconvenience it can be carried in the saddle bags by the cow boy and 
be the means of saving some valuable animals. If you wish to try this, 
go to your drug store and have put up a number of powders each com¬ 
posed of 30 grains of potassium permanganate and 30 grains of 
aluminum sulphate. When a poisoned animal is found it should be 
given one of these powders (regulate dose by the size of animal) in a 
quart bottle full of water. The other antidote is atropia sulfate, which is 
to be given with a hypodermic syringe which stockmen usually use for 
vaccinating their calves against blackleg. This antidote is used after 
the poison has been absorbed into the system. The tablets can be 
secured at any drug store, and carried along with the hypodermic 
syringe and a little bottle of water, and may be used by cow men while 
riding the range. If the animal is badly bloated it should be punctured 
high up on the left side with a knife, or better with a trocar and canula. 
This allows the gas to escape from the paunch, and is often sufficient 
treatment of itself. Bleeding seems to be the general practice and 
while this is not generally believed in now-a-days, either in the practice 
upon the human or the lower animals, yet in the case of larkspur poison¬ 
ing it is claimed by stockmen to give beneficial results; if so, probably 
by relieving the passive congestion. Melted lard given at the very 
start would no doubt be of some benefit by mechanically preventing the 
rapid absorption of the poison. Never give tobacco, aconite, or any¬ 
thing that will tend to depress the animal. Stimulants are indicated, 
such as whiskey, ammonia, camphor, etc. 
Next in importance to loco and larkspur is wild paf'snip and Death 
Cama. Copies of Bulletin No. 113, “Larkspur and Other Poisonous 
Plants,” may be obtained on application to the Experiment Station. 
The leaves of the wild cherry, monkshood, sage, skunk cabbage, ergot, 
sorghum, kaffir corn, and the rubber plant under certain conditions, 
mouldy hay, potatoes, carrots, etc., all come in for their share of the 
annual mortality in our domesticated animals. 
A knowledge of the identity of poisonous plants, and conditions 
