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Show I blVBSTOCK VETERINARY DEPARTMENT. The Loco Disease of Live Stock In the West. 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 gcrt-crally gcrt-crally Attributed it to certain weeds eaten by the stock. Investigations which have been made by the United Uni-ted States Department of Agriculture have not onlj' confirmed the supposition suppo-sition as to the poisonous effect f these plants, but have resulted in the disevcry and identification of barium as a definite poisonous element ele-ment in them. Feeding experiments establishing the fact that the plants arc responsible fo-r the disease were carried on under field and cofrral conditions con-ditions by Dr. C. Dwight Marsh. while the discovery of barium was made in the laboratory by Dr. A. C. Crawford. The loco weeds arc a class of leguminous le-guminous plants of which the principal princi-pal ones arc the purple loco weed (Astragalus mollissimus) and the irat-tlc irat-tlc weed (Aragallus lambcrti). O'nc or both of these prevail to a greater or less clont over an arca including all or parts of Montana, Wyoming, North Dakota,, South Dakota, Minnesota, Minne-sota, Nebraska, Kansas, Colorado, Utah, Arizona, New Mexico, Tcxa? and Oklahoma. The characteristic symptoms of the disease arc a slow staggering gait, rough coat, staring, vacant look, and emaciation. The affected animals have hallucinations, can not be led or backed, show more or less lack of muscular co-ordination, gradually lose flesh and die. The affection comes on in a slow and cumulative mann;r, and there is no possibility of animals becoming immune by continually eating eat-ing the plants. The proverb, "An cu nGpJUp'reTen-tion nGpJUp'reTen-tion is worth oppound of cure," applies ap-plies to thi disorder. Although good rcltscain often l)c obtained by the " treatment of locoed animals, the mot effective way of dealing with the trouble is to keep animals from cat? :ng the loco plants'. Wherever prac- , 1 ticablc the weeds should be exterminated extermi-nated from the range or pasture, and the best way of doing this is simply to cut them out. This method, however, how-ever, while often practicable on land under private control, can not vcrv well be applied to the public range. In many cases much can be accomplished accom-plished by keeping animals away from loco-covered -ranges during the time when feed is short, as they arc much more likely to contract the habit at such a time. It may sometimes be profitable to feed them for a short time, in order that the loco-eating habit may -not be formed. After animals have become affected the first essential in their treatment is to place them where they can not cat the loco weeds. They should be given plenty of nutritious feed, and so far as practicable feed with laxative properties, such as green alfalfa. Some may Irccovcr under ''this treatment treat-ment without irecoursc to medicine. With most animals, however, recovery recov-ery is hastened by medicinal treatment. treat-ment. As a result of its experiments the Department of Agriculture suggests the following treatment: For cattle, styrchninc in doses of thrcc-twen- j ticths to four-twentieths of a grain daily, administered hypodcrmically. For horses, Fowler's solution of arsenic ar-senic in halfouncc doses daily in the drinking water or in the grain. This treatment should be continued for at least a month. To correct the constipation consti-pation which is almost universal :n locoed animals, magnesium sulphate (Epsom salt) may be administered as a drench in 2-ounce doses. Epsom salt may also serve to some extent as an antidote to the poison prduccd by the weeds. Beneficial results have also been obtained by giving horses daily a drench containing 2 ounces oLEi?smi salt with 10 drops of dilute sulphuric acid, and by giving cattle tri-wcekly 3 to 4 ounces of Epsom B salt with a poportional increase hv the quantity of dilute sulphuric acid. As the foregoing treatments are 'n the experimental stage, the Bureau of K Animal Industry, Washington, D. C, would be glad to receive repot ts of re- K suits from their use. |