The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1888-06-21

DAYS, weeks, or sometimes months. But
meanwhile the animal is observed to be-
come foolish"
By others, we are furnished with the
symptoms of violent collie, beginning
with q very mild stupor and ending in
violent delirium; the animal usually caus,
ing its own death by its violent antics.
Enormous distension of the abdomen il
claimed by some as an invariable effect of
the loco. and the distension is said to be
relieved by knife thrust or pistol shot
through its walls, which furnishes an exit
! for the accumulated gas aud insures the
recovery OF the animal.
DR.. B. F. Kingsley, of this city (San An.
tonio), gives an interesting account of the
death of some mules feeding upon it.
The symptoms, manner of death and post
mortem examination are all described in
Daniels Texas Medical Journal.
l must here acknowledge the doctors
kind assistance in our experiments upon
the dog, to determine physiological action.
1 must also acknowledge the kindness of
Mr.. Geo. E. Gregg, of Fort Davis, who
| furnished me the plants for investigation.
A half ounce of the green plant was
thoroughly bruised and infused with ten
parts of boiling water for an hour. The
infusion, which was of rank nauseating
odor and taste, was administered to dog
fasting. weight twenty-three pounds).
No effect was produced even after several
hours. (12).
Second-A decoction was made by
boiling one part of the green Plant
| (bruised) with ten parts of water fer one
hour. The decoction, representing one
ounce of the plant, was administered, but
without producing any effect whatever.
Third-Thinking perhaps the gastric
| Juice, on account of its acidity,
might exercise greater solvent
influence on the poisonous principle
than water, l made decoction
calculating with hydrochloric acid. After
neutralizing the acid the decoction was
administered, but produced no untoward
effect.
Fourth-A decoction representing four
ounces of the dry drug equal to twenty
ounces green) was also administered with
out any unpleasant effect.
Fifth-Four hundred grains of the drug,
in substance, previously dried and re-
duced to powder, was administered, the
only effect, if any, being an increased
appetite.
Sixth Finally the organic acid OBJ
tanned from four ounces of the drug was
administered to the canine, but without
any observable effect.
Our experiments were conducted upon
the dog because horses and cattle were
not to us available subjects, and we be-
lieve they have demonstrated conclusively
the non-toxie or innocuous character of
the drug.
If death is produced by the plant at all
it is not dependent upon any poisonous
principle contained therein, but is, per-
haps, due to the tough, fibrous and
"indigestible" character of the plant,
acting as foreign body, producing irri-
taton5 and symptoms consequent there
upon; or else its action is identical with
an overload of green food of any kind.
As the observations reported were all
upon animals feeding in pastures, there
seems to be no positive evidence that
loco" has ever caused the death of any
ANIMAL; and the immense destruction of
stock with which it is charged may have
been caused by some poisonous plant
heretofore unsus pected.
Our conclusions are that the Loco
(astragalus molissimus) is non-poisonous,
and does not possess any of the properties
ascribed to it by popular superstition.