Part 13 (1/2)

[189] All the determinations of barium which resulted either positively or negatively were made with the same bottle of sodium carbonate and H_{2}SO_{4}, so that impurities in the chemicals were thus eliminated.

[190] Report from Bureau of Chemistry.

=a.n.a.lYSIS OF SOILS.=

One sample of the soil from near Hugo, Colo., from which the _Aragallus lamberti_ was collected, was examined by the Bureau of Soils, and that Bureau reported the absence of barium and zirconium, at least of any recognizable by the chemical methods used, so that it can not be said that the barium came from any soil accidentally mixed with the ash.

Traces of t.i.tanium were, however, found. Evidently the plant must collect minimal quant.i.ties of these elements from the soil and store them.

The water from a well of an adjacent area was examined by the Bureau of Chemistry and reported to contain 37.4 parts of calcium and 13.7 parts of magnesium in one million, and that the water contained no barium.[191]

FOOTNOTES:

[191] Barium has been found in well water in England. See Thorpe, T. E., Contribution to the History of the Old Sulphur Well, Harrogate, in Philos. Mag., 5 s., vol. 2, p. 50, 1876.

=FEEDING EXPERIMENTS WITH BARIUM SALTS ON ANIMALS IN THE LABORATORY.=

On these figures the writer took 0.2 gram of crystallized barium acetate c. p., using the acetate because acetic acid has been proved in certain loco plants by Power and Cambier, and after dissolving it in water fed it at 9.45 a.m. to a rabbit weighing 1,177 grams. The head soon fell forward so that the nose rested on the ground. At 10.58 a.m. the rabbit seemed unable to guide itself and would run into obstructions if forced to move. There was no diarrhea but it urinated several times. There was a peculiar tremor of the muscles noted. The animal would not startle by sudden noises and at 11.06 a.m. could be placed on its back with ease.

The pupils appeared about normal. The whites of the eyes showed very prominently. At 11.35 a.m. the fore legs were paralyzed. The following morning the animal was dead, its weight being 1,120 grams. The heart was dilated; the stomach was not hemorrhagic, but rather pale.

A second rabbit, which weighed 1,630 grams, was fed with a solution of 0.5 gram of the same salt at 9.42 a.m. At 10.35 a.m. the animal pa.s.sed soft stools and showed a marked disinclination to move, with evidence of pain. The diarrhea[192] became more marked and the animal's hind quarters were soiled with feces. At 10.48 a.m. there was marked incoordination of the limbs and inability to stand. Finally, at 10.56 a.

m., convulsions began and the animal died at 11.02 a.m. The autopsy was made about two hours later. The animal was then rigid. The kidneys seemed rather congested. The intestines were relaxed; mesenteric vessels dilated. The pyloric region of the stomach appeared hemorrhagic.

A third rabbit, fed like the preceding with 0.5 gram of barium acetate, showed much the same result. In this case there was some retching, but the other symptoms were as above, the animal dying in one hour and five minutes. No hemorrhages were seen in the stomach walls. It was noted that after the administration of certain doses, 0.2 gram, there was no diarrhea.

On September 23, 1907, a rabbit weighing 1,757 grams was fed at 10.42 a.

m. with 0.1 gram of the same barium acetate. The temperature at the time of feeding was 102.9F. At 12.05 a.m. the animal urinated.

Temperature, 101.4F. On September 24 the animal weighed the same.

Temperature at 10.55 a.m., 102.3F. The same amount of barium was fed.

At 3.40 p.m. the temperature was 102.5F. On September 25 the animal weighed 1,800 grams. Temperature, 102.2F. at 10.39 a.m. The dose of barium was repeated. At 3.55 p.m. the temperature was 101.4F. On September 26 at 9.38 a.m. the temperature was 101.1F., and again the barium was given. At 3.57 p.m. the temperature was 101.5F. On September 27 the rabbit weighed 1,772 grams. The temperature at 9.53 a.

m. was 102.3F. The barium was fed for the fifth time. At 10.27 a.m.

there were general convulsions. The eyes teared. At 10.32 a.m. soft stools appeared and the animal urinated. Stools were pa.s.sed at various periods. At 11.30 a.m. there were no signs of pain on pinching the ear.

At 11.58 a.m. the animal retched. The animal was lying with the fore legs wide apart and could not support itself. At 12.05 p.m. the temperature was 98F. and the rabbit died shortly after.

The peritoneal cavity seemed normal. The small intestines were relaxed, while the mesenteric vessels were dilated. The kidneys seemed congested.

The stomach walls were pink and in places covered with mucus. The heart was relaxed save the left ventricle, which seemed firm.

On September 23, 1907, a second rabbit, weighing 1,360 grams, was fed with a similar solution and the feeding was repeated at the same time the first rabbit was fed. On September 27 the animal weighed 1,416 grams. On this day a peculiar movement of the hind legs on jumping appeared, apparently due to an inability to draw the legs completely up, and the fore legs were spread wide apart, as if too weak to support the animal. The temperature had also fallen. On September 28 the animal had apparently recovered. Weight, 1,516 grams on October 21.

On September 23, 1907, a third rabbit, weighing 1,304 grams, was fed with 50 milligrams of barium acetate. This dose was repeated each time the other two rabbits were fed. On September 27 it weighed 1,304 grams.

Marked muscular twitching appeared, with disinclination to move. Finally there were convulsions and paralysis of the limbs. No stools were seen.