“From the close agreement of the symptoms in the cats with those universally recognized in locoed horses and cattle, I conclude that the cases described above were genuine cases of the “loco disease” and are, so far as can be ascertained, the first that were ever experimentally produced.”
“The craving for the “loco” is soon acquired. The kittens would beg for it as an ordinary kitten does for milk, and when supplied would lie down contented. To determine whether a herbivorous animal would easily acquire the “loco habit” a young “jack” rabbit was captured and fed a few days on milk and grass; then fresh “loco” was substituted for the grass. At first the “loco” was refused, but soon it was taken with as much relish as the grass had been. After ten days of the milk and “loco” diet the rabbit was found dead, with the head drawn back and the stomach ruptured.”
“With reference to the character of the plants at the different seasons of the year, I am convinced by numerous experiments, on material gathered in different months, that the greatest amount of poison is present in the autumn and winter.” The scarcity of other food at that period of the year is only a partial explanation of the number of deaths occurring at that season.
Conclusions:
“1st. There is some poison in “loco weed” which may cause the illness and, if sufficient quantity is taken, the death of an animal.”
“2d. This poison is contained in the decoction obtained from the plants, and by systematically feeding it to healthy cats cases of “loco” disease may be produced.”
“3d. Taste for the green “loco weed” may be experimentally produced in the jack rabbit.”
“4th. From the large quantity of the plant or the decoction required to produce the disease, the poison must be weak, or if strong, it must be in very small amount.”
LEAD POISONING. PLUMBISM.
Physiological action on nervous system. Sources: near smelting furnaces on vegetation; paints; paint scrapings in manure and on soils; lead packing of pumps, engines, etc.; sheet lead; bullet spray; wall paper lead; leaden water pipes or cisterns; lead acetate; painted buckets; painted silo; lead compounds in arts. Experiments on animals. Accidental poisoning: horse, fever, gray nasal discharge, salivation, convulsions, paralysis, dyspnœa. Cattle, emaciation, dyspnœa, palsy, tonic spasm of flexors of limbs, swollen carpus, death in a few months. Young worst. Sheep, lambs paretic. Swine in pens escaped, those at large suffered. Post mortem; lead or lead compounds in stomach, or shown by analysis, in gastric contents, liver, spleen, kidney, etc. Tests. Treatment: hydrosulphuric or sulphuric acid, sulphate of magnesia or soda, antispasmodics; in chronic cases, potassium iodide, bitters.