148  Philadelphia  College  of  Pharmacy.  {^M^reh'wio™1' 
of  theories  having  been  advanced  as  to  the  cause  of  the  disease, 
although  the  evidence,  including  the  results  of  pharmacological 
experiments  by  Dr.  Mary  G.  Day,  pointed  strongly  in  this  direction. 
The  feeding  experiments  carried  on  by  the  government  both  under 
corral  conditions  and  in  the  open,  in  which  the  loco- weeds  consti- 
tuted a  part  of  the  food  on  the  one  hand  and  were  rigidly  excluded 
on  the  other,  have  proved  conclusively  that  the  disease  is  due  to 
loco-plants.  The  course  of  the  disease,  which  is  characterized  b} 
marked  nervous  symptoms,  anaemia,  and  general  debility,,  was 
described,  as  were  also  experiments  in  the  treatment  of  the  disease. 
As  a  result  of  these  experiments  it  was  found  that  Fowler's  solu- 
tion in  daily  doses  of  15  c.c.  continued  for  about  one  month  is  the 
best  remedy  for  locoed  horses,  and  that  for  cattle  daily  doses  of 
0.009  to  0.012  Gm.  of  strychnine,  or  daily  doses*  of  0.4  Gm.  of 
sodium  cacodylate,  given  hypodermically,  and  continued  for  a  period 
of  one  or  two  months  constitute  the  most  reliable  remedy.  It  was 
noted  that  the  locoed  animals  are  especially  susceptible  to  the  usual 
veterinary  doses  of  the  medicines  named,  and  hence  it  was  found 
necessary  to  administer  them  in  the  small  doses  given.  Laxative 
agents  were  also  found  to  be  an  essential  feature  of  the  treatment, 
laxative  foods  and  magnesium  sulphate  being  recommended  in  this 
connection. 
Dr.  Marsh  stated  that  the  loco-plants  can  be  destroyed  by  digging 
them  up,  and  that  this  is  a  feasible  practice  in  some  localities. 
F.  Y. 
Physiological  Assay  :  its  Value  and  Limitations. — This 
was  the  subject  of  the  eighth  lecture,  which  was  delivered  on  Friday 
afternoon,  January  21,  by  Dr.  Horatio  C.  Wood,  Jr.,  associate 
professor  of  pharmacology,  University  of  Pennsylvania.  The 
speaker  was  introduced  by  Prof.  Henry  Kraemer  who  said  that 
there  is  no  subject  which  should  be  of  more  concern  to  the  phar- 
macist than  the  efficiency  of  the  preparations  which  he  dispenses, 
and  that  therefore  every  method  which  promises  to  be  of  value, 
either  in  the  testing  of  medicines  or  which  will  aid  in  establishing 
their  value,  must  necessarily  be  of  special  interest  to  him.  (See 
page  101.)  F.  Y. 
