The Indianapolis journal., 1903-10-04

The Loco Plant Found I'm the West
Makes Animals Crazy.
Washington Star.

Makes Animals Crazy.
Washington Star.
There is a fortune awaiting the person
who will discover an antidote for loco pois-
oplng, if the assertions Of prominent ranch
men IN the Western States are TO be be-
Iieved." said Washington resident who re-
turned the other day from trip through
the West TO a reporter for the Star. "A
number of ranchmen in the western part OF
Nebraska in eastern Colorado. Wyoming
and Montana informed me that unless the
loco plant is exterminated or an antidote
is found TO prevent its fatal effects on ami
mails they will be obliged 10 quit raising
horses. as they cannot afford TO endure the
wholesale loss of animals to which they
have been subject because of the plant for
the last few years.
by looking in the dictionary" continued
the Stars informant, II find this loco weed
is Of the genus oxytrophis, and that it is a
species of the bean family, found in the
Western States. The plant is sometimes
called crazy weed because of its action on
the brains of animals that eat it. Horses
and cattle both fall victims TO the weed.
but the former animal seems to show
greater preference for it than the latter:
hence larger percentage OF norses than of
cattle die from it's effects. Once a horse
has partaken of the wild. poisonous plant
his usefulness is over. for the creature be-
comes crazy loon. and nothing can
bring him TO his right senses. He lives in
this insane condition for a whie-a few
days or a few weeks-and finally drops off
and all is over for the animal, and the
ranchman loses all the way from $50 to 500.
uUa iG nHxy nla MT 10
leaves being covered with a whitish fuZ. IL
grows about seven or eight inches HIGH and
always on high ground, usually on buffalo
500, believe they call IL. RancherS inform
me that they have never found it bot
tom or meadow lands IL is not generally
distributed over a section, but is found To-
cally in certain quarters One mans pas
ture may contain a considerable amount of
loco, while the adjoining pasture will be
entirely free from the weed, so far as the
instances, / was told, ranchmen were
Obliged TO abandon large areas of pasture
land in the States mentioned because of
the prevalence of loco weed in the inclos-
ures.
Numerous attempts have been made by
those interested to exterminate the plant,
but Tor various reasons success has not at
tended their efforts. Both ranchmen and
scientists have also endeavored TO discover
an antidote for the poisonous plant, but, so
lar as could learn, they have not yet been
successful.
1.-The effects of loco upon an animal are
peculiar. While l was on a ranch in the
West one morning / saw the owner turn
into his pasture splendid horse He was
sound, apparently, in every way, and quite
spirited. L had ridden behind the animal
and was struck with its exhibition of 'hOsS
sense and its kind disposition. One even
ing, a few days after the horse had been
turned out TO Craze. saw the identical
horse coming up TO the trough for water
1t was the same animal, but what change
had taken place. His head hung almost to
the ground as though he was searching for
aeatt u afr1rr H. .1A
He walked to feed trough in the corral
without noticing it, and sidled around the
obstruction in a foolish manner.
After getting drink he started back to
walked right through a wire fence, heed
less OF the barbS which cut him about the
happened to approach at this point. in
formed me that the horse was 1ocoed.' The
animal reared over backwards. walked into
all kinds of distractions and seemed devoid
OF any intelligence AT times he would
prick up his ears and run wildly about the
pasture, but always he seemed to be search
ing for something along the ground.
Il was informed that once an animal
has eaten loco he will not eat anything else,
but will wander about for days looking for
the poisonous weed which, as a rule, is
not easy TO find, as il grows only in spots
in small quantities. Nothing will induce
the affected creatures to eat other food,
and it is stated that they simply hunt
about for the cause of their doom and final
ly die of starvation. A locoed animal will
perform all sorts of crazy antics which
would be amusing if not pitiful However,
they seem to suffer no pain, unless intense
hunger and craving for the enchanted weed
could be so termed. / have seen a horse
affected with loco approach a rope or stick
lying in his path and leap over it with as
much effort as though 1t were a house he
was trying TO jump over. They frequently
turn back somersaults and perform various
other equine gymnastics"
AT the botanical division of the Depart
ment of Agriculture it was learned that
the government scientists have made many
Investigations into the matter of loco pois-
oning and that many attempts have been
made to discover an antitode for the effects
of the plant. 1t was stated that DR.. V. X.
Chestnut, OF the botanical division, has
devoted a great deal of attention to this
subject for several years past and that he
believes he has at last discovered a cure
for loco poisoning. DR.. Chestnut is at pres
ent in Montana, where he is experimental
with his discovery and studying the weed,
but no reports have been received from
him at the department with regard to the
results thus far obtained
A cure for loco poisoning, no doubt will
be hailed with great satisfaction by the
ranchmen OF the West who il is stated,
have lost many valuable horses and consid-
erable stock because of the poisonous weed.