Barium: A Cause of the Loco-Weed DiseaseCrawford, Albert C. (Albert Cornelius)
Science
Barium: A Cause of the Loco-Weed Disease
Crawford, Albert C. (Albert Cornelius)
Astragalus earlei; Barium
_Experiment No. 3._--On February 13, 1906, a rabbit weighing 992 grams
was fed with a concentrated aqueous extract of 500 grams of the fresh
_Astragalus mollissimus_, collected in September and preserved in
chloroform water. Before feeding, the rabbit's ears were warm and the
rabbit struggled when any attempt was made to turn him on his back. The
temperature at 10.50 a.m., the time of feeding, was 103.5°F.; at 11.15
a.m., 102.5°F. At 11.30 a.m. the rabbit was breathing very rapidly
and would stay on his back for some time if placed so. The temperature
at this time was 102.6°F. Both pupils, the one exposed to the light and
the one protected, were contracted. At 12.02 p.m. convulsive movements
of the legs appeared. The rabbit made one leap, the temperature rose to
103.6°F., and after a few convulsive movements of the limbs the anus
relaxed and a small stool appeared, the pupils dilated, and the animal
died at 12.06 p.m.
_Experiment No. 4._--The feeding of the extract of 464 grams induced a
fall in temperature of 2.4°F. in three hours, and the rabbit died
several hours later (at night).
_Experiment No. 5._--March 2, 1906, a rabbit weighing 928 grams was fed
with a concentrated extract of 500 grams of the fresh seeds and pods of
_Astragalus mollissimus_, made in September, 1905, and preserved with
chloroform water. This animal died in one hour and seven minutes. The
animal showed the usual post-mortem conditions.
It was thus found that the aqueous extract of 500 grams of the fresh
_Astragalus mollissimus_ would cause death in about one hour in rabbits
weighing about 2 pounds (907 grams), these rabbits showing constant
clinical symptoms--urination, paralysis, more or less convulsive
muscular twitchings, often terminating in general convulsions,
drowsiness, and stupor, with more or less anesthesia. The pupils at the
time of death were often unequal. At first there was usually a slight
rise in temperature, but this was soon succeeded by a fall. Often there
were soft stools. The post-mortem lesions in these cases were marked
congestion, with hemorrhages in the stomach walls and a secretion of
thick mucus. The portions of the stomach walls most affected were the
dependent portions near the cardiac end. The intestines showed
dilatation of the blood vessels. The mesenteric vessels and also the
vessels in the cerebral portions of the dura were markedly dilated; in
some cases there were clots, especially at the posterior portion of the
brain, between the cerebrum and the cerebellum. At times there were
clots over the dorsal portion of the cord. On cutting into the brain the
brain substance itself did not appear to be congested. The cord seemed
about normal, but the vessels of its membranes were well marked. The
other organs showed nothing characteristic macroscopically. These
experiments were repeated many times and found to be constant.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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