Bisbee daily review., 1909-07-08
LOGO POISON Is
 IDENTIFIED.
Element Which Brings Death to Cattle is Barium-Ani-
 maIs Can Be Cured
BEST PREVENTIVE IS
 KEEPING ANIMALS AWAY

WASHINGTON, July I.-The SO called loco disease of horses, sheep and cattle has been for many years a source of serious loss to stockmen in the west. who have generally attribu- ted it to certain weeds eaten by the stock Investigations by the United States department of agriculture have
 not only confirmed the supposition as to the poisonous effect of these plants. but have resulted in the dis
 covery and identification of barium as definite poisonous element in
 them. Feeding was carried on under field and corral conditions by Dr. c. D. Marsh. while the discovery of
 barium was made in the laboratory by pr. A. c. Crawford.
 The loco weeds are class of leg. luminous plants of which the princi- pal ones are the purple loco weed (Astragalus mollissimus) and the rattle-weed fAragaluls lamberti. ) One or both of these prevail to a
 greater or less extent over an area including all or parts of Montana, Wyoming. North Dakota. South Dako- ta, Minnesota. Nebraska. Kansas, Colorado. Utah, Arizona. New Mex leo. Texas and Oklahoma.
 The characteristic symptoms of the disease are a slow, staggering gait, rough coat, staring, vacant look and cancellation. The affected animals have
 Authorizations, can not be led or backed, show more or less lack of muscular coordination, gradually lose flesh. and die. The affection comes on in slow and cumulative manner and there is no possibility of animals becoming immune by con. tinually eating the plants
 The proverp "an ounce of proven.
 ton Is worth a pound of cure" ap plies to to this disorder. Although good results can often be obtained by the treatment of locoed animals, the most effective way of dealing with the trouble is to keep animals from eating the loco plants. Wherever practicable the weeds should be ex | terminated from the range or pasture
 and the best way of doing this is sim ply to cut them out. This method however. while often practicable on
 land under private control. can not very well be applied to the public 1 range. in many cases much can be accomplished by keeping animals away from loco covered ranges dur 1 ing the time when feed Is short. as they are much more likely to con tract the habit at such time. Il may sometimes be profitable to feed them for short lime. in order tha'
 the loco-easing habit may not bt i formed
 After animals have become afflicted the first essential in their treatment
 is to place them where they can no eat the loco weeds They should bt ' given plenty of nutritious feed, ans So far as practicable feed with laxa tive properties. such as green alfalfa Some may recover under this treat
 ment without resource to medicine With most animals, however. recov
 cry is hastened by medical treat ment.
 As a result of its experiments th' | department of agriculture suggest.
 the following treatment: For cattfe
 strychnine in doses of three-twenti eths to four twentieths of a grair daily, administered hypodermically
 For horses, Fowlers' solution of ar
 senic in half ounce doses daily il
 the drinking water or in the grain
 This treatment should be continue; TUT dt lcdst oue Hlcutu iO COfTtC the constipation which is almost uni
 versal in locoed animals. magnesium
 sulphate (epsom salt) may be admin
 istered as drench in 2-ounce doses
 Epson salt may also serve to som'
 extent as an antidote to the poisol produced by the weeds Beneficia
 results have also been obtained b
 giving horses daily drench contain
 ing two ounces of epson salt wit
 ten drops of dilue sulphuric acid. am
 by giving cattle tri-weekly three t
 four ounces of epson salt with pro
 portional increase in the quantity c
 dilute sulphuric acid.
 As the foregoing treatments are |
 the experimental stage. the burea
 of animal industry. Washington. I C.. would he glad to receive report of results from their use