")G0 Journal of the Depar'TMSNt op Agriculture. 



;ni(l stui't'cd llic r\\(\ Willi "^Tass ; tlus li(> tlncw 111(0 a s|)riii<4- of \\alt>r 

 iK'av a kaftir kiaal. possibly to try its (>tl'ect 011 the inmates, l)ut some 

 lattle tame along' and luid a diiiik and died very sotm afteiwaids. 

 'i'lie natives cleaned out ilie si)iing- ami found the lioni. The mud 

 removed from ilie sides ajid bottom of Ihe s])rin<4- was thrown on the 

 side, and more cattle licked it with fatal icsults. A ]iative mixe<l 

 arsenite of .soda with lol)()la-eake mash which he knew was to b(! fed 

 to a herd of seventeen valuable ])edig'ree Frieslands. and fourteen 

 died; these cattle Avere worth probably £8000. 



Faiineis cannot be too careful in seeing- that their aisenic is 

 kept under lock and key, but unfortunately under existing conditions 

 this is not sufficient to prevent natives obtaining' arsenic; they liave 

 lu) difficulty in obtaining same from stores for dipping- i)uri)0ses. 

 Something should be done to stoj) this, and I think the best suggestion 

 is to ])rohibit th(> sale of arsenit(> of s(»(la in powdei- form; if it were 

 li(jueHed and given a decided odour and un})leasant taste, mali(-io\is 

 l)oisoning would become a much more difficult proposition. 



Farnu^rs who use an arsenite of soda solution as a di}) might with 

 advantage add some soluble tar dip in the proportion of 1 to 1000. 

 This is beneficial for seA^eral reasons: it would prevent the dip being- 

 used for malicious purposes ; it keeps the dip from becoming foul ; 

 the odour would possibly keep ticks oft' longer; it will kill lice, which 

 arsenite of soda will not; and it increases the wetting power of the 

 solution. 



Symptoms of Aijsenical Potsonixc;. 



These will depend somewhat on the method b\ which the aisenic 

 gains access to the system. The usual way is either through the mouth 

 or by absorption through the skin. 



When arsenic is swallowed the severity of the symptoms will 

 depend on the amount taken and the susceptibility f)f the animal. 

 Very often death occurs with alarming suddenness, no preliminary 

 symptoms having been noticed. The animal is found dead, usually 

 with evidence that scouring had occurred before death; in other cases 

 death may not take place for three or four days, or even longer, and, 

 of course, some animals will recover. The symptoms are those 

 associated with abdominal pain, viz., in the horse, colic; in cattle, 

 disinclination to move, lying down most of the time, often with the 

 head turned back towards tlie shoulder; when made to rise the animal 

 is uneasy, kicks towards the belly with the hind leg's, and soon lies 

 down again. There is loss of appetite and suspension of rumination; 

 the membrane lining- the mouth, nostrils, and eyelids is bright red 

 in colour; scouring' is a marked feature, and the scour has a paiticu- 

 laily strong", disagreeable odour. In my ex])erieiice the temi)eratui-e 

 remains normal, or very little above, when the poison is taken throug'h 

 th(> mouth, but there is a considerable rise of temperature Avlien the 

 arsenic is absorbed throug'h the skin. 



P( )ST-MOUTKM AlTEA 1! A.N ( KS . 



'^rhe post-mortem appearances are: Evidence that the animal 

 has been scouring, acute inflammation of the membrane lining the 

 stomachs and intestines — this is jiarticularly noticeable in the fourth 

 stomach, small intestines, and in the coecum (blind gut) — the lining' 

 membrane Avill be found to be of a dee]i red or port wine colour, and 



