Abstract
RUMINANTS grazing pastures containing a large proportion of growing Phalaris tuberosa on occasions develop a nervous disorder, phalaris staggers1,2, the symptoms of which are an initial hyperexcitability followed by muscular tremors, unco-ordinated gait and stumbling or falling when driven. Demyelination in the spinal cord ensues and complete recovery has not been observed. On the grounds that similar symptoms and pathological changes occur in cats3, dogs4 and hens5 treated with cholinesterase inhibitors, Dr. J. H. Gaddum (personal communication to Dr. H. R. Marston) suggested that some knowledge of the cholinesterase activity in the blood of animals suffering from phalaris staggers might illuminate the origin of the disorder.
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WALKER, D. Blood Acetylcholinesterase in Phalaris Staggers. Nature 184, 1411 (1959). https://doi.org/10.1038/1841411a0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/1841411a0
