, 1907-09-19
POISON IN
SALTPETRE
FATAL RESULTS TO SHEEP IN
TESTS MADE BY COUPLE OF
VETERINARY SURGEONS.
Drs. Delaney and Whitehouse Garry on
Series Of Experiments, Results Be-
Ing Embodied In Report Submit
ted to Board of County Commits
sioners Of Albany County.
BY W. s. lngham.

A report of great interest TO stock.
men generally, and to 'sheepmen in
particular, has just been filed at the
court house, for the information of the
county commissioners by Veterinary
Surgeons Whitehouse and Delaney.
The report has to do with the effect If
saltpetre nitrate of potash) upon
sheep. The investigation was ordered
by the commissioners because of the
somewhat mysterious death of num-
bers Of sheep within the past few years
on certain ranges west of the city, and
also because of the discovery recently
of many small heaps Of saltpetre scat.
tered upon a range south of the city.
the mineral evidently having been put
there for some purpose.
The veterinarians, when questioned
by the commissioners as to whether
or not it acted as a poison, were I'm.
able to answer, and stated that, while
it was generally believed that salt,
petre would poison sheep and some
other animals, SO far as they knew
there was nothing in literature pertain.
ing to the subject.
A Deadly Poison.
The investigation was, therefore or
dered. The result, as shown by the
report submitted, appears to show con
clusively that saltpetre is a deadly
poison to sheep, and moreover, that it
cannot be guarded against by taking
the pr~ecaution to salt the sheep.
Three cases are sited in the report,
The first, that of a lame but otherwise
perfectly healthy lamb, which was sub.
jected to the forcible administration
Of four ounces of a solution of SAL
petre. Death resulted in four hours
and 35 minutes. The second case was
a healthy lamb to which one and one
half ounces of s%altpetre oslution was
administered and death resulted in
twelve hours.
Died in Great Agony.
In the third case a rheumatic but
otherwise healthy W was taken. anc
after being allowed free access to sal
for several days, was placed in a per
| Will DltIIN vi loOu dlu "aNSiy 'u'
with a weighted pound of saltpetre
within reach. The eve died in great
agony in tweuty-four hours, after hav
ing voluntarily eaten about one ounce
of the mineral.
The symptoms in all three cases
as stated by the report in detail, were
the samoa marked dullness and de
preston, switching of the tail, licking
of the lips and twitching of the nose
with violent commissions before and al
death. The common post morten symQ
toms were Inflammation of the true
stomach and beginning of the small
intestine as the immediate cause Of
death.
Not All Deaths the Same.
The report says that the numerou:
deaths of sheep in the area bounde
by the Pioneer canal, the big hollow
and the tracks of the Laramie an
Hahns Peak railroad cannot be attrib
uted to %saltpetre, as the symptom
both before and after death differed
The report states that the expert
ments have established the fact tina
sheep grazing over a range on whic'
~saltpetre has been scattered will di,
in considerable numbers If recent,
sailed, and most probably in muc
greater numbers if salt-hurgry
VIII Push Investigations.
Drs. Whitehouse and Delaney d