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
(5) A close analogy exists between the clinical symptoms and
pathological findings in barium poisoning and those resulting from
feeding extracts of certain loco plants. Small doses of barium salts may
be administered to rabbits without apparent effect, but suddenly acute
symptoms set in analogous to what is reported on the range.
(6) The administration of sulphates, especially epsom salts, to form
insoluble barium sulphate would be the chemical antidote which would
logically be inferred from the laboratory work, but of necessity this
would have to be frequently administered and its value after
histological changes in the organs have occurred remains to be settled.
But even the treatment of acute cases of barium poisoning in man is not
always successful, even when sulphates combined with symptomatic
treatment are employed. The conditions under which the sulphates fail to
precipitate barium must be considered. At present it seems best to rely
on preventive measures rather than on antidotal treatment.
(7) Loco plants grown on certain soils are inactive pharmacologically
and contain no barium. In drying certain loco plants the barium
apparently is rendered insoluble so that it is not extracted by water,
but can usually be extracted by digestion with the digestive ferments.
(8) The barium to be harmful must be in such a form as to be dissolved
out by digestion.
(9) In deciding whether plants are poisonous it is desirable not merely
to test the aqueous or alcoholic extract, but also the extracts obtained
by digesting these plants with the ferments which occur in the
gastro-intestinal tract.
(10) It is important that the ash of plants, especially those grown on
uncultivated soil, as on our unirrigated plains, be examined for various
metals, using methods similar to those by which rocks are now analyzed
in the laboratory of the United States Geological Survey.
(11) It is desirable to study various obscure chronic conditions, such
as lathyrism, with a view to determine the inorganic constituents of
lathyrus and other families of plants.
* * * * *
FOOTNOTES:
[251] Résumé of the results of the loco-weed investigations
carried on by the Bureau of Plant Industry was issued as
Bulletin 121, part 3, Bureau of Plant Industry, on January
28, 1908, in the form of papers by C. Dwight Marsh and Albert
C. Crawford, respectively, under the titles "Results of
Loco-Weed Investigations in the Field" and "Laboratory Work
on Loco-Weed Investigations."
INDEX.
Page.
Abortion, cows, caused by loco poisoning, 13
rabbits, caused by loco and barium poisoning, 41, 42, 62
Acid, acetic, found in loco-weed, 26
Acqua, C., reference to work, 52
Africa, South, goat disease, 17
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