PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - JAMES FITTON COUCH
TI  - A CONTRIBUTION TO THE STUDY OF LOCOISM
DP  - 1929 May 01
TA  - Journal of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics
PG  - 55--83
VI  - 36
IP  - 1
4099  - http://jpet.aspetjournals.org/content/36/1/55.short
4100  - http://jpet.aspetjournals.org/content/36/1/55.full
SO  - J Pharmacol Exp Ther1929 May 01; 36
AB  - One of the loco weeds, Oxytropis lambertii, has been subjected to chemical and toxicological study with the following results: An extract containing the loco poison purified from other plant constituents has been prepared and studied. This substance produces typical locoism in cats under experimental conditions. All other constituents of the plant were fed to cats in large doses and failed to produce locoism. There is, therefore, one specific poisonous substance in O. lambertii capable of producing the loco disease. The chemical study of this substance indicates that it is a stable, nonbasic, nitrogenous, and highly hydroxylated organic substance. It is not an alkaloid, glucoside, acid, ester, or ether. It is free from barium compounds. The loco poison is very soluble in water and extremely hygroscopic, less soluble in alcohol and methanol, and still less soluble in acetone. It is quite insoluble in ether, chloroform, and the hydrocarbon solvents. It does not affect the ray of polarized light. It may be decomposed by heat and then yields products that are positive to the pine-splinter test for pyrrol derivatives. Barium compounds do not produce locoism in cats.