Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1909-12-14
DYING UNDER SUSPICIOUS
CIRCUMSTANCES

D W. j., mariana, Fla, writes: / re-
Gently bought 40 head of cattle and stock
Cd my north Georgia farm with same. A
few days ago the cattle commenced to
die and are dying fast. The farm Is in
a good location, has good grass, good
water and a careful man to look after
the cattle. Do you think they might
have gotten hold of a poison weed or
bush, or do you think they have been
poisoned by some one?
You do not say from what section Won
secured your cattle. If they came from
north of the quarantine line and your
place is infested with ticks, it is MOI
hard to understand why so many ami.
mails have died, for the cattle tick, as
you know, carries Texas fever, and
animals which have not been exposed to
the tick contract the disease rather quick
~ and often die off rapidly. 1t is hard
ly likely, however, that your land is in
rested with ticks, but it would pay you
to examine carefully and see If there ar.
any on the bodies of your animals. II
so, you should remove them at once by
scraping them off and greasing the cattle
with crude cottonseed oil to prevent them
from fastening themselves to the legs
and crawling up on the body. The trouble
may also be due to the cattle eating lau-
rel, which you know, is very poisonous
to live stock, and there may be other
poisonous plants on your farm to which
the animals are not accustomed, and
therefore more likely to eat.
The symptoms of poisoning where the
animals contract the trouble from plants
in the pasture are naturally variable in
character, but as a rule Jnere is marked
irritation of the stomach and bowels. In
some cases the animals seem to be paral-
yzed and there is great depression and
muscular weakness. When death from
poisoning by plants occurs the mucous
membrane of the stomach and small in
testines is often congested and often Sc
verely inflamed. This condition is only
observed in cases where the animal has
died from a poison affecting the bowels;
later the nerve centers are affected
There are practically no abnormal con-
ditions observed in making a postmor-
tenn examination.
The treatment for animals poisoned by
plants is not very satisfactory, though
when irritation of the Bowels is present
purge of castor oil or raw linseed oil
may remove the irritating material
Small doses of laudanum may then be
given. Gruels and sweet milk containing
raw eggs are soothing and nourishing. In
case there is evidence of the animal
having absorbed poison in the nerve CEN
tiers and weakness and depression follows
sttmulants may be given. Diluted alcohol
or ammonia in moderate doses prove
helpful. II the animal is too weak to
evacuate the bowels injections of warm
water will be Beneficial. If coldness is
observed, Jamaica ginger in hot water is
very good.
When animals are maliciously poisoned
with arsenic there are abnormal pains
and irritation of the bowels When
strychnine is used the animal is thrown
into violent CONFUSION, the muscles be-
coming stiff and rigid. In case animals
are suspected of being POISONED malici-
ously the stomach should be examined
and the contents sent to the state chem
list as the presence of strychnine can be
quite readily determined. Poisoning
from plants as rule does nor occur in
the fall, but generally in the spring.
when the animals are first turned ON
pasture and before the grass has made
much development.
You can probably tell from these sug.
gestions whether your animals have been
poisoned or whether the trouble is due
to some other cause, and If they have
been poisoned. whether it is likely to have
been from eating plants or from malici-
BUSINESS.