The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1910-01-12
DIR. L. e. Sayre Gives Stock
men Result of Investigation.
NOT YET PUBLISHED.
Fatalities Due to "Crazy" Weed
Limited to West.
DIR. Crumbine Discusses DIR.
Sayre's Revelations.

nual meeting of the Kansas Improved
Stock Breeders association have been a
success as far as the program has been
concerned and the interest taken in the
proceedings by those present, but ac-
cording to H. w. McAfee the attend
ance has been the smallest in ten years
He attributes the scanty gathering to
the fact that the season has been a
severe one and the stock are requiring
more attention than would have been
the case had the weather been milder.
There was a marked increase, how
ever, Tuesday afternoon and last even
Ing. A number of the stockmen who
arrived yesterday will remain over in
order to attend some of the sessions of
the meeting of the state board of agri-
culture.
The evening program was an excel
lent one. DR.. L. E. Sayre of the State
university gave the results of his in
vestigations in regard to the loco or
crazy weed" which have extended over
period of many years. DIR. Sayre
made the statement that these results
have not before been published
Investigations in the laboratory found
no positive results of vegetable poison
ing, so it was discovered that the dead
ly effects must come through chemical
action in the body.
The loco weed has killed off thousands
of horses and cattle in the western
states and investigation of this nature
is most important. DR.. Sayre gave the
history of the investigation as follows:
The loco weed is very appropri-
ately called by the name loco weed
The term loco is a Spanish word
which translated back to English is
known as crazy
My own connection with the in
vestlgation of this weed commenced
! in SO in connection with the state
board of agriculture and this investi-
Co. -
years.
The first work consisted in the col
| lection of statistics and the mapping
out of geographical distribution of the
1T may be said that there are no
less than sixty-four different species
OF astra1agus (loco) in the western
part of the United States.
Some experienced ranchmen Would
fatty deny the toxic properties of the
so-called crazy weed and, on the
other hand, others equally intelligent
and experienced in the life of the
plains and stock raising would most
emphat1cally pronounce the weed as
a very dangerous poison, giving ample
| statlstics to support their statements
one ranchman, for example, in
meade county, stated that about 500
animals had been lost in that county
during five years from the effects of
the weed.
| .On the other hand, butcher in
colorado who had been interested in
raising cattle and horses who seemed
to be quite Intelligent on his subject
most positively stated that he did not
| believe one word of all that was said
ABOUT the crazy weed He had
watched the animals eating it and had
never lost an animal.
Thls kind of statement was re-
peated over and over again by intel
hgent, well trained men in the cattle
raising business.
+fMr
mer and ranchman, who was engaged
IN fatten1ng cattle, bringing them up
| from the south after wintsrfng there
| made the statement that he had prov
ed conclusively to his mind the cause
of the so-calied loco poisoning was
not due to any poisonous properties in
the plant, but was rather due to the
| 1eedlng of an animal whose powers of
resistance had been reduced to a
| minimum by winter starvation and
| suddenly feeding these animals upon
| to be.
| Now as matter of fact there is
| an element of truth in Mr.. Cones
| statements that were made bv the
ranchmen in New Mexico who said
| that their locoed animals would be-
| come bloated and swell up Just the
same as If they had been over fed on
| alfalfa or clover.
| An early chemical Investigation of
loss consisted of a search for veg
etabie poison which was supposed to
be similar to that of opium, some
saying that it was very much like
digitalis, but work in our town labora-
tory and the work in other laboratories
OF the country on the investigation,
round no positive results of vegetable
| poison, at least none that would be
considered an alkoloida1 poison.
After this work was completed. IL
was thought that if some physiological
experiments could be performed in the
field, we should be able to solve the
| problem finally.
| This was an expensive proposition
and in spite of all of our efforts we
| were unable to obtain funds for this
purpose.
Finally by a peculiar incident the
United States government became in
lvestigation has finally led to very
important and instructive publication
i DR.. J. S. CrUmbine secretary of the
state board of health, then spoke OF
i the great worth to Kansas of the ex-
1 perimentS which DIR. Sayre has been
carrying on, deploring the fact that
4 the state has not provided Sufficient
funds to procure the necessary amount
of equipment to allow the investiga-
tions to be carried on further He
pointed out that DR.. Sayre had worked
% years on the experiments and
among scientists the part of this work
which has been carried on in the
/ laboratory is considered "classfc.''
but that It had been a severe disap-
Ipointment to the professor not to be
able to complete the Investigations
He said that 1t had been a disappoint-
ment to him not to have sufficient
money to investigate further in re-
gard to infanti1e paralysis
4 President Henry ]. Waters of K S
4 A seTroadfn~-