site logo

Oxytropis Lamberti


NAT. ORD., Leguminosae.



COMMON NAMES, "Loco" Weed. Rattle Weed.



PREPARATION.--The whole plant without the root is macerated in two times

its weight of alcohol.



(The following proving of the "loco weed" was conducted

by the late Dr. W. S. Gee, of Chicago, in 1887):





OXYTROPIS LAMBERTI, Pursh.--Commonly taller, as well as larger, than
/> other varieties (the scapes often a foot or more high); silky,--and

mostly silvery-pubescent, sometimes glabrate in age; leaflets from

oblong-lanceolate to linear (4 to 16 inches long); spike, sometimes

short-oblong and densely flowered, at least when young; often

elongated and sparsely flowered; flowers mostly large (often an inch

long, but sometimes much smaller), variously colored; pod, either

narrowly or broadly oblong, sericeous pubescent, firm-coriaceous,

half-inch or more long, imperfectly two-celled. Includes O.

Campestris of Hook, Fl. Bor. Am., in part. Common along the Great

Plains from Saskatchewan and Minnesota to New Mexico, Texas, etc., and

in the foot-hills.--From Coulter's Manual of the Botany of the Rocky

Mountain Region.



It is one of the poisonous members of that family. It is found in

California and New Mexico.



It is a perennial plant, with herbaceous or slightly shrubby stems, the

foliage remaining green during winter when grass is scarce, and so

attracting animals that would otherwise probably instinctively shun it.

The plants do not appear to be equally poisonous at all seasons or in

all localities, and it has been doubted whether the active properties

they possess are due to a normal constituent of the plant. No medical

use has ever been made of these plants, although their poisonous

character has often led to the suggestion that they might be found

valuable. No physiological study has been made of the action of the

poison, and no complete chemical analysis has as yet appeared.



The stockmen speak of it as causing intoxication in the animals which

eat it, and a prominent symptom is the "loco" condition, in which the

power of co-ordination is lost or greatly limited. They cannot readily

readjust for changes in gait, etc. A horse travels on level ground, but

finds great difficulty in changing to pass over an elevation or

depression, or, when going up hill, he has great difficulty in starting

down hill; it is difficult, when he is still, to impress him that he

must go, and as difficult to stop him when desired. The same rule

applies to eating and other necessaries. Such a horse is said to be

"locoed." Professor Hawkes procured specimens from which Boericke &

Tafel made a tincture. To further test the merits of the remedy, the

students of the class at Hahnemann Medical College of Chicago kindly

participated in a proving.



Professor Hawkes received some reports from his group, but has mislaid

his papers, and he is unable to give in detail the symptoms produced. He

stated, however, that the principal action corroborated that given

above.



During 1886-'87 term I made another attempt, and a few reports were

received. The remedy was given by number, that the prover should not

know what he took, nor the strength of it. Some were given the [Greek:

theta], others 1x^d, 2x^d, 3x^d, 12x powders, 30x powders, and some

higher.



A few reported "no effect" from the [Greek: theta]. The following

includes the report from five persons:



1. (Mr. S. P. F., 10 drops of [Greek: theta].) 2. (Mrs. W., 10 drops of

3x^d repeated.) 3. (Mr. G. H. A., 15 drops of 3x^d.) 4. (Mrs. P.,

powders of 12x repeated.) 5. (Mrs. L., powders of 30x.) 6. (Mrs. L.,

powders of 12x.)



SYMPTOMATOLOGY.



Mind.--Great mental depression,^1,^3. Cannot think or concentrate his

thoughts,^1,^3. Very forgetful of familiar words and names,^3. No

life,^1. Disinclination to talk or study,^3. Wants to be alone,^3. Is

better satisfied to sit down and do nothing,^3. Feels perfectly

despondent,^3. A feeling as if I would lose consciousness,^3. All

symptoms worse when thinking of them,^1,^3.



Sensorium.--Strange sensation about the head,^4. A feeling as if I

would lose consciousness, or as if I would fall when standing,^5. Sense

of fulness of the head, and of instability, when standing or sitting,^6.



Head.--The head has a feeling of great pressure, especially on moving

the eyeballs,^4. Head hot,^6. Was unable to move around on account of

this strange, uncertain feeling of numbness, with prickling sensation in

left arm and hand,^4. Full, uncomfortable feeling in the head,^5. Slight

headache in vertex and occiput in forenoon, over the eyeballs about

noon,^1. Pain in the helix of the ear for two or three minutes, then

pain commenced between the eyes and went in a straight line up over the

head and down to the base of the brain,^2. Pain across the base of the

brain,^2 ("gone in a minute or two"). Dulness in frontal region, must

lie down,^4. Pain in occipital region is constant since 1 P.M.; heavy

ache, as if a weight were attached to the lower edge, pulling it back,

but pain does not extend down the back,^2; all stop at 3 P.M.,^2. A

pressing headache from 2 to 5 P.M.,^3 (on 2d day). Awoke with slight

pressing pain in forehead, which increased gradually until about 2 P.M.,

and then gradually decreased,^3. Pain, dull and heavy, in the head, with

sense of pressure,^4. Head very sensitive, < on the side on

which I lie,^3. Pressure upon the head disappearing after sleep,^4.

Dull, heavy feeling in the head, with uncertain gait and walk, so that

she was obliged to lie down, when she fell into a deep sleep and woke up

with the metallic taste.



Eyes.--Feel dull and heavy, blurred, pupils dilated,^3,^4. When

reading, it seems as if a light were reflected from a bright copper

plate seen at the left side, as if the light were at the end of the

room,^6. Pain in the eyeball,^4. Pain over the right eye,^6.



Ears.--Roaring sound in the ears,^3.



Nose.--Very dry; scabs form in the nose,^3. Frequent violent sneezing,

with fluent coryza in the evening,^1. Nose feels as if sunburnt; red and

shining, especially on alae,^1. Feeling of pressure over the bridge of

the nose,^1. Fluent coryza, somewhat bloody,^1.



Mouth.--Very dry, especially in the morning,^3. Metallic taste in the

mouth, strongly marked,^1. Gumboil on left lower maxillary; profuse

saliva,^1. Pain in left lower maxillary,^1. Tenderness of all the

molars,^1.



Throat.--Slight inflammation of the pharynx, a "husky" feeling,^1. Dry

and sore,^3.



Eating and Drinking.--Appetite gradually increasing,^1.



Appetite good; symptoms, < after eating, > after an hour,^2. Loss of

appetite,^6 (unusual).



Nausea and Vomiting.--Eructations, as after taking soda-water (after

each powder), with colicky pains,^5, and looseness of the bowels

(constipated before taking the remedy),^5. Eructations, empty,

frequent,^1. Slight nausea, all day at intervals,^2 (first day). A very

tired, languid feeling all forenoon, accompanied by nausea on lying

down, passing away on getting up, and returning on lying down again (not

at night).



Stomach.--Tenderness in the epigastric region,^1. A kind of pressing

soreness,^3. Cold during the chill,^2.



Abdomen.--Sharp, lancinating pains all through the abdomen, early in

the evening,^5 (observed but once). Sharp pain, running from right to

left across the bowels, for several minutes, followed by a very strong

desire to go to stool; entire relief after stool; slight griping pain in

the region of the umbilicus, working down at 8 P.M., followed at 10 P.M.

by discharge of flatus; full feeling in abdomen, causing short breathing

after lying down in bed,^1.



Stool.--Symptoms marked and constant. Faeces of the consistency of

mush, which slips through the sphincters in little lumps, very similar

to lumps of jelly,^3. Stools dark brown, or like jelly,^3. Urgent desire

for stool, sometimes removed by passing wind; quantity normal,^3. Sore

feeling in the rectum,^3. Crawling sensation in rectum as if little

worms were there,^3. Stool inclined to be hard; unsatisfied feeling, as

though not done,^1. Stool solid at first, then diarrhoea,^1. Movement

of the bowels at an unusual time,^2 (6:30 P.M., had moved the morning of

same day). Sharp pain from right to left across the bowels, followed by

very strong desire for stool,^2. Stool, first hard, then loose,^2.

Entire relief from pain after stool,^2.



Urine.--Symptoms very marked,^3. Characterized from the first by a

very profuse flow of clear, or almost colorless urine, nearly the color

of water,^3. Three to four times the normal quantity,^3,^1,^4,^2. When

thinking of urinating I had to go at once,^3. No sediment

whatever,^3,^1. Pain in the kidneys, hardest in right, with some

tenderness,^1. At the expiration of every two or three hours after

stopping the remedy, there was an enormous flow of pale, straw-colored

urine, and with this would gradually disappear the metallic taste which

was so marked,^4. Free urination, dark in color, no distress,^2. Urine

scanty, and looked like that of a child troubled with worms, light

red-colored stain on bottom of vessel,^2 (second day). Awoke with a

heavy pain in the kidneys,^2 (third day). Urine clear on passing, but

becomes as above described on standing,^2 (third day). During day urine

scanty, with considerable irritation, as if the muscles of the bladder

were contracting, > moving about,^2.



Male Sexual Organs.--From being naturally of a passionate nature, the

desire and ability diminished to impotence,^3. No sexual desire or

ability,^3. Bruised feeling in the testicles, beginning in the right and

extending to the left--came on after going to bed,^1. Occasional pain,

of short duration, in glans penis,^1. Pain in testicles, worse with

extension along spermatic cord and down thighs,^1 (third day).



Sexual Organs, Female.--At 1.30 P.M., felt a pain in left ovary, like

something grasping or holding tightly for about an hour, then

disappeared,^2.



Larynx.--Slight accumulation of mucus in the larynx, hard to cough it

up,^2.



Breathing.--Short and quick breathing from the full feeling in the

abdomen,^1. Hard breathing, as though lungs and bronchi were closing as

the chill passes off.



Cough.--A dry cough, from any little exercise,^3 (eleventh day). A

short, hacking cough, with tightness across the chest,^2 (third day).



Lungs.--Oppression at 9 P.M.,^1 (first day).



Heart and Pulse.--Palpitation after lying down at night, for 15 to 20

minutes,^1 (seventh day). On going to bed, pain, like a wave, over the

heart,^2 (second day), < lying down. Pulse 84, intermittent,^2

(2 P.M. of third day).



Outer Chest.--A warm, tingling sensation over left chest, just under

the skin,^2 (lasted five minutes).



Neck and Back.--Neck pains. Pain and stiffness of the muscles of the

back of the neck.



Upper Extremities.--Stitching pain in right wrist for half an hour,

leaving a tired feeling in joint,^2. At 12:30, a sharp, cutting pain

running from point of shoulder down front of chest to point of hip bone,

going suddenly,^2. Flesh feels as though she had taken a heavy cold,^2.

Sharp pain, with coldness, from left shoulder-joint extending down the

arm < in shoulder-joint, > sleep; goes away gradually,^4. Prickling

sensation in left arm and hand,^4.



Lower Extremities.--Stitching pain in right leg and knee-joint for

half an hour, leaving a tired feeling in the joint,^2. Hard pain in the

left big toe-joint,^2. Pain inside of left leg from the groin to the

knee,^2.



Extremities in General.--Flesh on under side of limbs sore,^2. Sore

feeling of all the muscles of the right side of the body,^2. All the

pains come and go quickly, but the muscles remain sore and stiff,^2.

Frequent fine pains all over the body until 3 P.M., when all disappeared

and felt as well as usual,^2.



Position.--All pains better when moving about and when in the cool

air,^2. Nausea, heart symptoms and breathing, < lying down,^1,^2.



Nerves.--At 10 A.M. a very sick, exhausted feeling appeared,^2.



Sleep.--Not very sound,^3. Dreams of a pleasant or lascivious

character,^3. Wakes often,^2. On rising feels sad, weary, despondent,^3.

Twitching of the muscles on falling asleep roused him,^3 (once three or

four nights). Dreamed of spiders, bugs,^2 (first night), of swimming in

water,^2 (second night--am not in the habit of dreaming).



Chill.--Chill at 11:40 A.M., beginning in back between shoulders,

down over body to feet; stomach feels cold; pains all over body during

chill; a peculiar sensation of crawling or contraction of the abdominal

muscles, hardest about the navel, lasted about half an hour,^2. As the

chill passes off a smarting in the throat and a feeling as though the

lungs and bronchi would close up, making breathing very difficult; chill

lasted until 1 P.M., followed by perspiration of palms of the hands and

soles of the feet; the changeable pains remained until 3 P.M., when all

disappeared,^2. No thirst in either stage,^2. Felt badly for three days

at same hour as chill,^2. For four weeks on every seventh day had a

chill with all the above symptoms; the coldness of the spine was

continuous for eight weeks, and was then removed by Gelsemium,^2.



(Dr. W. D. Gentry, while at Las Vegas, New Mexico, made

the following summary of the action of the remedy.

Homoeopathic Recorder, 1895):



For the present I will only give a few of the leading symptoms produced

by the Loco weed:



Brain and Mind: Stimulation of mind; pleasant intoxicated feeling.

Satisfied indifference to all influences and interests.



Head: Full, warm feeling about the head.



Eyes: Strange feeling of fullness about the eyes, with sight obscured,

so that it appears that one is looking through clear water which

produces about all of the seven prismatic colors, red, orange, yellow,

green, blue, purple and violet.



Paralysis of nerves, and muscles of the eyes, producing amblyopia.

Pupils contracted and do not respond to light.



Eyesight lost with feeling as if in consequence of long exposure to

strong, arc-electric lights.



Neck and Back: Numb, pithy or woody feeling about and in the spine.



Lower Extremities: Loss of power to control movements of body or limbs.



Swaying, staggering gait.



Reflex action of tendon-patella lost.



General: Weakness and insecurity of all powers of locomotion.



Feeling of intoxication, with almost entire loss of vision.



Amblyopia: sense of touch greatly weakened.



(From the Kansas City Star.)



The loco weed of the Western plains is to vegetation what the

rattlesnake is to animal life. The name comes from the Spanish and

signifies insanity. It is a dusky green and grows in small bunches or

handfuls and scatters itself in a sparse and meagre way about the

country. It is in short a vegetable nomad and travels about not a

little. Localities where it this season flourishes in abundance may not

see any of it next year, nor indeed for a number of years to come.



The prime property of the loco is to induce insanity in men or animals

who partake of it. Animals--mules, horses, sheep and cattle--avoid it

naturally, and under ordinary circumstances never touch it. But in the

winter, when an inch or two of snow has covered the grass, these green

bunches of loco standing clear and above the snow are tempting bits to

animals which are going about half starved at the best. Even then it is

not common for them to eat it. Still, some do and it at once creates an

appetite in the victim similar in its intense force to the alcohol habit

in mankind.



Once started on the downward path of loco a mule will abandon all other

forms of food and look for it. In a short time its effects become

perfectly apparent. You will see a locoed mule standing out on the

shadowless plain with not a living, moving thing in his vicinity. His

head is drooping and his eyes are half closed. On the instant he will

kick and thresh out his heels in the most warlike way. Under the

influence of loco he sees himself surrounded by multitudes of

threatening ghosts and is repelling them.



The mind of the animal is completely gone. He cannot be driven or worked

because of his utter lack of reason. He will go right or left or turn

around in the harness in spite of bits or whip, or will fail to start or

stop, and all in a vacant, idiotic way devoid of malice. The victim

becomes as thin physically as mentally, and after retrograding four or

five months at last dies, the most complete wreck on record. Many

gruesome tales are furnished of cruel Spanish and Mexican ladies who, in

a jealous fit, have locoed their American admirers through the medium of

loco tea. Two or three cases in kind are reported in the Texas lunatic

asylum.



More

;